


Sea's Fatal Attraction

by ryeong9



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Blood, Explicit Language, M/M, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Sailor!Yesung, Sailors, Seafaring Felines, Siren!Ryeowook, Siren/Sailor AU, Sirens, Smut, Violence, implied MomoxHeechul
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:20:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 52,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23774482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryeong9/pseuds/ryeong9
Summary: Kim Jongwoon is the captain of the Dark Shadow who conquers sea storms and who is on a quest to find a legendary star that helps sailors navigate to the end of the world. Ryeowook is a beautiful siren whose enchanting voice captivates the fearless captain, but also mystifies him. Fate brings the two together and Captain Kim must learn to be wary of the sea’s fatal attraction or be swept out into her depths for good.
Relationships: Kim Jongwoon | Yesung/Kim Ryeowook
Comments: 40
Kudos: 45





	1. The Tempest

**Author's Note:**

> Several Notes: 
> 
> 1\. I am adopting quite a few Greek mythological elements for this story, and using Mediterranean geography as the backdrop, in addition to a few made-up places from my imagination. However, this story isn’t set in a particular historical period of ancient Greece.  
> 2\. In Greek mythology, sirens are traditionally creatures who are half-woman and half-bird but in this AU, they’re beautiful merpeople who lure sailors with their singing voices.  
> 3\. I am by no means an expert in seafaring/navigation. I am using the knowledge I’ve gained from a bit of research, Homer’s 'Odyssey' (love that epic) and pop culture as well.  
> 4\. Any characters other than SJ are OCs. If they share the same name with other idols, it’s just a coincidence.

_“It's hard to tell the difference between sea and sky, between voyager and sea. Between reality and the workings of the heart.”_

– Haruki Murakami

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A man with hair as black as the plumage of a raven bird silently stood on the deck of the Dark Shadow _,_ surveying the Mediterranean horizon through a brass spyglass while a faint sea breeze gently ruffled the few strands of hair loose from his short ponytail.

He did not move when his faithful lieutenant, a lean man of taller stature, appeared at his side, holding an aging navigation chart in his hands. The lieutenant had just emerged from the captain’s cabin where he had been assessing the ship’s trajectory using the maps and charts that were kept in the cabin; quite a few of which had been procured through blood, sweat, and tears, as the lieutenant all too well remembered. 

Without breaking away from the spyglass, the man with the raven hair addressed his lieutenant. “What’s our position, then, Zhoumi?” 

“From the looks of it, Captain, we’re still out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.” 

The captain, Kim Jongwoon, pulled the spyglass down from his chiseled face and directed a pointed look at the other man. “You think so, Lieutenant?” he asked, his husky voice dripping with fluid sarcasm, “I reckon a fucking barnacle could’ve figured that out as much!”

Zhoumi bit back an amused smile. “Sorry, Captain, I only jest. Anyway, two days ago we sailed past Andromeda’s Rock. Right now, we are here. Or at least, somewhere near here,” he pointed to a specific spot on the chart and the captain peered down to where his finger was pointing. 

Jongwoon clicked his tongue in annoyance. “We’re still too far. At this rate, we’ll arrive at 15 Shores in a fortnight.”

Zhoumi glanced up at the ship’s masts where the white sails flapped weakly due to the lack of wind. “The wind gods haven’t been kind to us so far,” he noted somberly. 

“No,” Jongwoon agreed, “And there’s a thunderstorm coming.” His dark eyes were fixated on the cloudless, bright blue horizon as if he could make out the imperceptible storm in the distance. 

A look of unease appeared on Zhoumi’s face. “Captain, I think you may be right… Jinjoo this morning was being a lot friskier than usual and she’s been doing that damn twitching thing with her ears whenever she senses bad weather approaching.”

At Zhoumi’s remark, Jongwoon could not help but let out a wry laugh. “Can’t say I’m surprised by that,” he said, “All the same, we won’t be able to outrun the upcoming storm, it _will_ hit us. When it does, do me a favor and make sure Jinjoo gets stowed away in my cabin. The last thing I need is 7 years of bad luck for losing a damn cat overboard.”

“Of course, Captain.”

A thoughtful look crossed Jongwoon’s face while he continued staring out at the expanse of endless sea. “Do you think we’ll actually get answers at 15 Shores? Our only lead on the Blood Star died with the one sailor who could’ve given us any real tidings about it by the time we arrived at Amphora Harbor. Gods know the rotten fortune we had that day!” 

Zhoumi began to roll up the nautical chart carefully. “Let’s not be pessimistic yet, Captain. 15 Shores is where the Oracle is, it’s our best chance of getting more leads on the Blood Star’s whereabouts.”

“It’s our _only_ chance, you mean,” Jongwoon said tersely, “If the Oracle doesn’t help us, then this will all have been for naught.”

“We will find out soon enough. But it sure as hell doesn’t help that a storm’s heading our way, as you say,” Zhoumi added as an afterthought. 

“Maybe it’s just my heightened senses acting up, but something tells me that this storm is a sign,” Jongwoon said ominously. Rather than feeling fear, the captain’s eyes were ablaze with sheer determination, almost as if daring the forces of nature to directly challenge him out at sea, a realm that he spent a good portion of his life sailing. For Captain Kim, there was nothing more enticing and thrilling than life out at sea, especially when it came to navigating her turbulent waters, a feat that he had great expertise in. 

Zhoumi let out something very much like a snort. “When is it never a sign, Captain?” he asked, “In the realm of the sea god, you always have to tread carefully or you’ll get sunk to the bottom before you know it.”

“Truer words have never been spoken, my old friend,” Jongwoon said, snapping his spyglass shut, “In that case, let’s start battening down the hatches. I have a feeling that this storm is going to be an unforgiving one.” 

The Dark Shadow sailed leisurely throughout the rest of the morning. But by late afternoon, overcast clouds obscured the Mediterranean sky, forming the beginnings of a storm just like Jinjoo and the captain had anticipated.

Within a matter of time, thick droplets of rain began splattering onto the deck of the ship, drenching everyone on board while they were making the necessary preparations to brace themselves from the upcoming onslaught of the storm.

As the harsh winds began to pick up in speed, the waves began to churn tumultuously, swaying the ship back and forth in a precarious manner. Flashes of thunder broke out across the dark cloudy sky, as if manifesting the wrath of the sky god himself.

Jongwoon rigidly held his composure, refusing to let the menacing storm cripple his nautical spirit. Captain Kim Jongwoon would not have become the most fearless known sailor of the seven seas if he had let storms prevail over him. No…weathering powerful storms simply tested the captain’s will, strength, and endurance to their bitter limits; it was a test of his seamanship and the captain was determined to always emerge triumphant.

“Furl the sails!” the captain yelled, his leather boots thudding heavily against the wooden floor with every step he took while he delegated orders to his crew. He called out to Shindong, the ship’s helmsman, who was assiduously working to steer the Dark Shadow away from the tall breaking waves that threatened to flood the entire vessel. “Stay firm your boots, Shindong, and keep her steady!”

“This storm’s a brutal one, Captain!” Shindong hollered back through the rain. 

“Aye, but now’s not the time to have cold feet! The worst is yet to come!”

In his peripheral vision, Jongwoon spotted a young sailor, Henry, standing precariously near the ship’s barrier, trying to secure one of the cannons in place.

A sharp gust of wind then rocked the ship abruptly to one side, causing the young sailor to lose his footing and to topple over the wooden edge.

Henry let out a panicked yell, but before he could completely fall over, a strong hand grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him backward so roughly that he skidded ungracefully across the slippery wet wood.

Henry looked up to see who had saved him and saw none other than the formidable captain. At that moment, a flash of thunder illuminated the fierce look on the captain’s face. Strands of wet dark hair were clinging to Jongwoon’s forehead as he stared down at Henry, looking like the harbinger of the tempest himself.

“You fool!” Jongwoon berated, “What in seven seas were you thinking standing close to the barrier like that?”

Henry shivered not because of how drenched he was to the bone, but because of the captain’s penetrating stare. “B-Beg your pardon, Captain,” he quickly apologized, feeling slightly ashamed that the captain had to go out of his way to save him from falling overboard.

“If you’re not injured, stand up on your two feet and go help the others secure the sails!” Jongwoon ordered before walking away briskly, leaving the young sailor behind to look after his retreating form in mild amazement. In times like these, the young sailor was emphatically reminded as to why he and the rest of his shipmates highly regarded Jongwoon as their leader. Having naturally, a penchant for sailing in which his experience and skill were unrivaled, combined with his fortitude, it was no wonder that Captain Kim was acknowledged with reverence by his own crew. 

“Aye, Captain,” Henry’s words were drowned out by the storm.

Jongwoon strolled along the deck, trying to make his voice heard over the raucous rain. “Right lads, stand your fucking ground! I say we’re going to win this one, or so help me, my name is not Kim Jongwoon, the best damn captain of the seven seas!”

The captain’s grandiose words were met with a loud clap of thunder; a deafening sound that reverberated across the dark sky as if the very heavens themselves were validating his words. 

By nightfall, the Dark Shadow managed to successfully veer into a calmer section of the ocean where the torrential rains turned into mist and where the current was less raging, much to the exhausted crew’s relief.

After a rough day of tempering the storm, the captain allowed his crew to indulge themselves with some wine from their precious cargo, to which the entire crew all too readily accepted. 

The captain saw his lieutenant sitting on one of the wooden crates with his head bent and his elbow on his knee, his clothes still completely soaked. 

Jongwoon made his way to the other man and proceeded to clap his shoulder in a good-natured manner. “C’mon, Lieutenant, look alive. I can't have you losing your wits about you every time we go through a rough patch.”

“My wits left with the wind a long time ago, Captain,” said Zhoumi jokingly, “Gods, that was one hell of a storm.”

“Aye, there’s no denying it,” Jongwoon said with something like approval. For the fearless captain, there was great beauty even in what looked like total chaos. “Like the time when we almost sailed right into a whirlwind on the way to Crete, remember?”

Zhoumi snorted, recalling that catastrophic occasion. “Shit, Captain, we _barely_ managed to make it out alive in one piece after that one!”

A broad grin stretched out across Jongwoon’s face. “I reckon that was the worst one of them all, wasn’t it?”

“Damn right it was! I still thank the gods every night for having mercy on us that day,” Zhoumi then absentmindedly glanced up at the night sky that was still obscured by dense clouds. “With these damn clouds, I can’t use celestial navigation to plot our next course, Captain.”

Jongwoon also looked up at the sky, looking thoughtful. “No, you can’t. We’ll just have to wait until they clear out,” he then turned to look at Zhoumi with a furtive glint in his eyes, “Until then, how about some of that wine, Lieutenant? Both of us could use a little pick-me-up after this storm, though heavens know I could use something a bit stronger.”

A flicker of a smile appeared on Zhoumi’s lips. “Aye, Captain, right you are.”

The Dark Shadow continued to slowly sail into the misty night, with occasional beams of silver moonlight filtering through the fog. 

Despite the current placid state of the sea, no one aboard the ship could have foreseen the imminent danger that lied ahead of them beyond the hazy fog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this AU for a while ever since I tweeted about a yewook siren au fdghdfh . Anyway, I'll be posting 3 or 4 chapters per week as I am still in the process of going over them/editing.


	2. The Wind's Whistle

In the early morning, Zhoumi went to the captain’s sleeping quarters to inform Jongwoon that land was spotted on the horizon. Jongwoon, who had just woken up from a deep slumber after having his energy drained from last night, at once departed from his cabin to head towards the bow of the ship for a closer look.

Zhoumi joined him at the bow, where Jongwoon observed how the fog had completely vanished, revealing dark splotches ahead, coming more into focus. Jongwoon’s sharp eyes then fell upon the faint outline of an island with sheer cliffs standing at least several meters tall.

As the ship crept closer to the island, Jongwoon could see its cove, where glistening turquoise water met white sand. Meanwhile, the morning sun hung overhead, casting its brilliant light over the entire island. The island was unfamiliar to Jongwoon, such that he stared at it with a frowning expression on his face.

“Zhoumi, what in seven seas is this island? I don’t remember seeing it on any of our maps.”

Zhoumi, who had been peering at the mysterious island through a spyglass, turned his attention to Jongwoon, revealing his confused expression. “That’s the thing, Captain, I also don’t recall seeing it on any of our maps…If that’s the case, I think we ought to take a look at them again to make sure we’re on track to 15 Shores.”

“Weren’t we going the right way?” Jongwoon demanded.

“We were, but the damn storm must have thrown us off our course if we’re seeing this unknown island right before us, Captain,” Zhoumi explained, “I say we look at the maps again, maybe it’s one of the smaller islands that we accidentally overlooked while charting our course.”

Jongwoon wanted to openly disagree. Zhoumi was someone who paid close attention to detail, there was simply no way he could’ve overlooked something this pertinent like this island when charting course. But he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Fine then, I think we should—”

The captain was cut off when a light, clean breeze washed over him. Goosebumps suddenly erupted on his arms for at that moment, Jongwoon could have sworn that he heard the wind _whistle._

“Did you hear that?” Jongwoon’s steely eyes turned to Zhoumi, who suddenly appeared uneasy, for indeed his ears did catch the wind’s whistle.

“Captain, I think we should turn around and get away from this island,” he said carefully, having a bad presentiment about the island.

Jongwoon did not reply, his ears straining to listen to the mysterious sound again. But all he heard was squawking from a seagull flying overhead.

The ship continued to lazily move closer to the island’s cove, when out of nowhere, a melodious sound drifted through the air, gentle and light as a feather.

Someone was singing.

Jongwoon froze in place, letting the delicate voice envelop him like soft waves tumbling upon the shore. It was the most beautiful voice that the captain had ever heard in his entire life, for it literally touched his soul. It was so alluring, that it caused Jongwoon’s mind to go blank; all he knew was that he did not want the singing to ever stop, but as if the voice had read his inmost mind, it slowly dissipated into the wind like a far-off memory.

An eerie silence overtook the ship, with the creaking wood the only sounds to be heard.

“Captain,” Zhoumi insisted again, though this time his voice held elevated urgency, “We're treading into something dangerous, and I don't like it. We need to turn around, _now._ I’m going to go give the order to Shindong.”

He made to step away, but Jongwoon’s voice stopped him. “Zhoumi, what do you know about sirens?” he asked, his gaze fixated upon the island. His face radiated calmness, but his eyes glowed with burning desire like hot coals.

“Sirens?” Zhoumi asked as if he had not heard him correctly, “Captain, sirens are nothing but sailors’ lore,” he said dismissively, not liking where the conversation was heading, “Meant to pass the time during long voyages out at sea, you know this already!”

“They’re lore, you say,” Jongwoon said in an unconvinced tone, “Well since you’re a more learned man than I am, care to explain to me why the fuck the wind is _singing?_ ”

Zhoumi visibly stiffened. He did not want to believe what his intuition was telling him about the singing wind. He had heard countless amounts of cautionary tales touting what such beautiful singing in the wind signified and of the dangers it presented for sailors like him. But upon hearing that enchanting voice, he was forced to slowly come to terms with the precarious reality that they were caught in. For this reason, Zhoumi had to act quickly before something bad happened.

“The wind works in strange ways, Captain, that’s all there is to it,” he said unconcernedly, trying to subtly quell the captain’s adamant fascination over the enchanting voice.

Jongwoon's face was drawn in an expression of apparent doubt, he could not help but let out a scoff. “What works in strange ways is that head of yours, Lieutenant, not the damn wind,” he then began to take off his leather boots, moving like a man in a dream. “Tell the crew to drop the anchor.”

Zhoumi’s eyes widened in alarm. “What do you think you’re doing, Captain? Need I remind you that we’ve got to stay on track to 15 Shores—”

“And we’ll do so _after_ I see what lives on that island,” said Jongwoon tersely, tossing his second boot to the floor.

Zhoumi stared at Jongwoon as if he were unrecognizable. “Captain—stop this nonsense, I won’t stand for it! Everyone is still exhausted from the storm and they are in no position to scour this island and face the unknown danger that lies—”

“If the rest of the lot is too tired to come along, then fine, I’ve got no problem going out alone!” Jongwoon snapped, “I think you’re being paranoid, Lieutenant, aren’t you even a little curious to see who that lovely singing belongs to?”

“Only a fool would willingly let himself be hoodwinked by that wicked voice!” Zhoumi shot back, beginning to feel frustrated by the captain’s behavior, “And I’m not being paranoid, you’re being unbelievably absurd!”

Jongwoon looked at his longtime confidante with an unreadable expression on his face and for a split second, Zhoumi thought he went too far, but to his bewilderment, Jongwoon burst into laughter. “Gods, Lieutenant, I can’t knock a man for being too honest, can I?” he said, “You’re most certainly not wrong. But in life, you learn to face the unknown where danger lurks everywhere you turn. Just look at the sea,” he wildly gestured to the expanse of water surrounding them, “She’s full of wonders but she’s also unpredictable, and whatever exists on that island is sure proof of that. You of all people should know this, or are you losing your nerve?”

“Captain, I’m not disagreeing with you there, but some risks simply aren’t worth it!” Zhoumi said, trying his best to instill reasoning in the captain. In his mind, there was no doubt that the captain’s brazen thinking was brought about by the enchanting singing, which is why he had to convince Jongwoon to come to his senses before he did something drastic. “Come now, let’s head over to your cabin to figure out our next course, yeah?” He placed a hand on Jongwoon’s arm with the intent of pulling him towards his quarters, but the latter yanked it away.

“As the captain of this ship, I’ll be the one to decide what’s worth and what’s not worth taking a risk for,” Jongwoon said firmly, leaving no room for further argument, “Tell the crew to drop the anchor, don’t make me repeat myself again! You’ll stay put to watch over the ship until I come back!”

He made to step away, but Zhoumi moved so that he stood in front of Jongwoon with his arms spread out, blocking Jongwoon’s passage.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Jongwoon demanded.

Zhoumi shook his head. “I’m sorry, Captain, as your right-hand man I can’t let you take one step off this ship.”

Anger flickered in Jongwoon’s stormy eyes. “Move aside, Lieutenant,” he said in a calm but dangerous tone.

Zhoumi remained defiant, though his mouth quivered in apprehension.

“Move aside, Lieutenant!” Jongwoon repeated, his voice rising, “Captain’s orders!”

“Can’t you see what’s happening?” Zhoumi said desperately, “That wicked voice is deliberately trying to befuddle your mind so it can lead us to our doom! You can’t let it overpower your mind, Captain! Come to your senses, for fuck’s sake!”

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew silently stood by, watching the scene unfold in front of them, with a dazed expression on their faces. They were reluctant to do anything, partly because of the enchanting singing that clouded their heads, but also because of their fear of provoking the captain’s wrath any further. A general rule that was shared amongst the crew of the Dark Shadow was to never incur the captain’s wrath. The lieutenant, however, had a different type of relationship with the captain, one that permitted him to boldly challenge the captain whenever it was necessary to do so without having to incur the risk of getting tossed overboard for blatant disobedience. But with how Jongwoon was gradually losing rationality due to the singing, that just might no longer be the case.

Ultimately, Zhoumi's words broke down the last barrier of the captain's self-control. In a flash, Jongwoon swung at Zhoumi who at the last second, reflexively ducked to avoid the impact of the captain’s fist. Zhoumi then quickly launched himself at the captain, wrapping his arms around Jongwoon’s torso, and tackling him to the floor with the intent of keeping him pinned him there until it was safe to release him.

Jongwoon cursed, trying to shove Zhoumi off of him, but to no avail. The lieutenant was persistent.

“This is mutiny!” Jongwoon snarled, becoming more out of control by the second, a livid look in his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, Jongwoon! I’m doing this for your sake!” Zhoumi hissed through clenched teeth as he tried to keep Jongwoon in place.

Suddenly, the singing returned; this time louder, as if it sensed the discord happening aboard the Dark Shadow. The singing was so alluring, it even caused Zhoumi’s eyes to go out of focus, and almost instantly, he slackened his hold on Jongwoon. The captain, empowered by the singing, seized his chance and roughly shoved him away, causing the lieutenant to hit the floor with a grunt.

Jongwoon then stood up and hurried over to pick up the rope ladder by the barrier, tossing it over the side of the ship. He hastily threw off his buccaneer’s coat before climbing over the side and began to make his way down the ladder. Once he was in the water, he expertly swam, letting the powerful singing pull him to shore.

Soon enough, Jongwoon finally stepped onto the white sand, his clothes dripping wet. Never mind that the large cove was littered with broken wood and shredded ships—ships from past sailors who were lured to their doom…

The captain moved as if compelled, the beautiful singing reverberating pleasantly in his ears and guiding his feet forward towards a large rock archway where the singing appeared to come from. As he moved closer, the singing grew more prominent and Jongwoon quickened his pace to be nearer, stepping inside the archway.

The archway stretched into a small cavern where a pool of clear blue water occupied the center. Where the ceiling should have been was a gaping hole that allowed sunlight light to filter into the cavern, illuminating the glistening water.

That was when Jongwoon saw the origin of the singing, causing him to freeze in place, his eyes drawn to the unbelievable sight before him.

Perched on top of a flat mass of rock in the middle of the pool was perhaps the most beautiful creature Jongwoon had ever laid eyes on.

From the waist up, it looked like a young man except that where the legs should have been was a long, lustrous merman’s tail, its end flitting lazily in the water while the creature continued to sing his enchanting song. The morning sunlight reflected off the multicolored scales, making them look like precious gemstones. He had soft, wavy hair that was more golden than any field of wheat in existence, and on the right side of his hair, a little starfish was affixed to it. His skin was smooth and had a slight iridescent shimmer akin to that of a sea pearl. His jawline was immaculately sharp like a cut-diamond. Around his neck, a necklace with a small pendant hung slightly below his fine collarbones; a silver scallop seashell that glinted in the sunlight. Almost concealing his ears were a set of violet-colored fins, which flickered mindlessly as the creature’s eyes raked over the newcomer in curiosity.

His eyes were of a soft brown color and they were soulful. They were framed with thick, long eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings every time he blinked. His gaze was fixated upon Jongwoon’s face while the sweet melody continued to flow from his heavenly lips that looked soft and pink like the petals of a summer hibiscus flower.

By gods did this creature take Jongwoon’s breath away. There was something in his appearance that was remarkably stunning and engaging, and comforting at the same time. The captain did not care that the lower half of the creature’s body took the form of a merman, even though in the back of his mind, he knew that this was the creature that was the popular subject of many sea tales rife with anecdotes about the dangers that lurked in the ocean.

A _siren._

The creature abruptly ceased his singing, the echo of his voice bouncing off the cavern’s stone walls. His eyes continued to study Jongwoon before his pink lips curved up into an innocuous smile, revealing a set of bright teeth.

Jongwoon’s heart raced upon feeling the vibrant energy emanating from this beautiful being. It was like looking at the sea as an entity; extremely beautiful to look at but also dauntingly majestic and mysterious. While Jongwoon continued staring at him, completely mesmerized, he wondered to himself: _why in Hades would anyone even_ think _that this beautiful creature was in any way wicked?_

As if a switch flicked inside his heart, he began to slowly wade through the shallow warm water, moving closer to the being before him.

The siren, in turn simply watched him, displaying no sign of fear nor any indication that Jongwoon posed a serious threat to him.

The end of the siren’s tail continued to move idly in the water, creating small ripples, until he finally spoke, his voice causing Jongwoon to freeze on the spot. “Hello there. Have you come to poach me as well?”

His voice was so light and ethereal that Jongwoon felt his throat go dry and it took a minute for his mind to fully register the siren’s direct question. He was losing all sense of rationality but he did not care. All that mattered to him was getting as close as possible to the beautiful siren, just to ascertain that he was _real._

Jongwoon did not respond immediately out of fear that his own voice would betray him but the siren sighed sadly as if he already knew the answer. “You sailors never learn. You always think you can show up with your wooden ships and overpower me without ever considering the fact that with just a single hum of a note I can will you to drown yourselves in the sea. Shall we put that to the test?”

Jongwoon slightly shook his head, still completely enthralled by the siren’s magical aura, “F-Forgive me,” he stuttered, “I was struck by your singing—it’s _beautiful_. Never before have my ears been blessed with anything so divine.”

The siren appeared momentarily stunned by the sudden praise, for his tail stopped moving. After an interval of silence, his lips curved up into a soft smile. “Thank you. Not many others tell me that.” He sounded sincere, but there was a hint of sadness in his tone.

Jongwoon ignored the small voice in the back of his head that eerily sounded like Zhoumi’s, telling him to snap out of his trance.

“You can come closer, sailor,” the siren’s sweet voice said encouragingly.

As if cast by a spell, Jongwoon’s feet moved on their own accord, shuffling forward. He stopped when he was directly in front of the rock that the siren was seated on. He was close enough that he could count the colorful scales on the siren’s wondrous tail if he wished to.

To his surprise, the siren boldly leaned forward so that his face was millimeters away from Jongwoon’s, the tips of their noses touching as he peered directly into Jongwoon’s dark eyes. It was as if the siren was trying to _see_ into him.

Jongwoon held his breath at the proximity of their faces. He could see gold specks in the siren’s clear eyes, as well as the little beauty marks that were scattered all over his beautiful face. At that moment he subconsciously took note of how rapidly his heart was beating. He had a powerful urge to kiss those lovely pink lips…

A twinkle gleamed in the siren’s eyes. “You really _are_ different from the others…”

Then in a flash, the siren pulled away before diving into the pool, his tail splashing water in its wake.

Jongwoon remained in his spot, utterly dumbfounded. What had just happened?

“Wait!” he then called out in a panicked voice, “Don’t go!” His feet began moving towards the spot where the siren had dived into, not caring that the water level was getting deeper with every step he took.

Even in the sunlight, Jongwoon was unable to locate the siren, which was strange because the siren could not have just simply dissolved in the water. Jongwoon’s head frantically swiveled around, desperately searching the water as if his whole existence depended on finding the siren.

All of a sudden, a strong force brusquely yanked Jongwoon into the water, completely submerging him.

Shocked by this unexpected turn of events, the captain inadvertently opened his mouth, allowing water to fill his lungs before he had the mind to snap it shut. With dread, Jongwoon fully became conscious of what was happening and at once, he struggled to free himself from the vice hold around him.

The lack of oxygen was making Jongwoon believe he was hallucinating when he thought he heard a voice ring in his ears; it was an ominous voice that did not belong to the siren.

_“He is the one.”_

Just before he blacked out, Captain Kim’s eyes caught the flash of brilliant golden hair, shimmering in the water like gold coins.


	3. Not Human

“Captain! _Captain!_ ”

Jongwoon felt an incessant pumping sensation on his chest. Before long, he sputtered out seawater and began to cough erratically to expel whatever of it remained in his burning lungs. While trying to regain his breathing, his eyes squinted from the harsh sunlight that glared down on his face. He blinked until everything came into focus, feeling as if every ounce of energy had been drained from his body. His eyes then fell upon his lieutenant who was kneeling by his side, a worried expression on his face. Jongwoon slowly registered that his lieutenant had resuscitated him and that they were still on the island, with him lying on top of its fine white sand.

“W-What happened?” he asked confusedly, his voice strained, feeling uncomfortably tight.

Zhoumi, who was sopping wet as if he fought the sea itself, contemplated how to respond to him. “What happened, Captain is that you’re an idiot.”

If anyone other than Zhoumi had the gall to call him an idiot directly to his face, Jongwoon likely would have eviscerated him right there on the spot. But perhaps not at the moment since not too long ago, he narrowly escaped the tenacious claws of death itself.

As if on cue, Jongwoon’s mind flashed with recollections of him in the cavern with the beautiful, but lethal siren. To think that he survived all those dangerous sea storms only to nearly meet his downfall by a mythological creature? By a fish no less!

He let out a dry cough, his throat feeling rough like sandpaper due to the saltwater that he had ingested. “Thought you were keeping watch over the ship.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on the taller man’s lips. “Shit, Captain, you must not know me very well if you think I’d stand idly by while you fare alone on this island to face the danger that lured you here in the first place! As your second-in-command, I made the call to take a few men with me here to search for you before the worst happened. Fortunately, your footprints in the sand made it easy for us to find you in quick time.”

Jongwoon blinked, taking all of this information in. Before long, his features scrunched up in apparent confusion. “The singing…” he trailed off in a daze, as if the siren’s beautiful voice serenaded him even in memory, “How did you resist the singing?” 

“Beeswax,” Zhoumi simply said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world, “Henry was the only one of us who kept his wits about him. He went to look for some in the cargo deck and he brilliantly suggested that we stuff our ears with it to block out the siren’s singing before it completely muddled with our heads as it did with yours. It was a close call too, I reckon the lad’s got the makings of a fine captain himself.”

It was truly a damn good thing that Jongwoon had rescued him during the storm. “…And what of the siren?”

Zhoumi glanced behind him where some of the crew were on standby next to a rowboat by the shoreline, waiting for their return.

“We…we captured it, Captain.”

At these words, Jongwoon’s features contorted into a look of complete consternation. “You _captured_ him _?_ ”

Zhoumi hesitated before responding. “Aye, I gave the order. By the time we arrived, the damn siren had nearly succeeded in drowning you in the water. It took a while for it to notice our presence, and when it did, it tried to enchant us with its singing but I guess it came to realize that we were resistant to it since we couldn’t actually hear it. So then, the siren made a bolt for it, but Henry was faster—the lad practically _flew_ into the water to get to it! He managed to grab ahold of the siren and restrain it long enough for the others to tie it up while I pulled you out of the water…Tough piece of work the siren was too, the little fucker almost incapacitated Sungmin with its tail.”

Jongwoon lied there speechless. He did not think his crew would actually go through the lengths of capturing the siren. He then asked the first question that popped into his mind. “I-Is he still alive?”

Zhoumi nodded.

After a brief silence, Jongwoon, in a bitter tone, said, “Good. Because I want to strangle him with my own two hands.” He then tried to sit up only to groan at the dull ache in his muscles from the exertion.

Zhoumi immediately placed a hand on Jongwoon’s clothed back. “Whoa, easy there, Captain,” he said, helping Jongwoon to sit up, “Don’t overexert yourself.”

Jongwoon paused for a minute, his expression suddenly changing. “Zhoumi—I…” he trailed off, unsure of what to say, “I’m truly sorry I attacked you like that, I don’t know what had gotten into me. I heard that voice and I just—I couldn’t _resist_ it.”

In all the years Zhoumi spent voyaging out at sea with Jongwoon, tempering storms, and fearlessly taking down enemy ships together, this was the first time he had ever seen his formidable captain and longtime friend look so remorseful and distraught over his actions. It was then that he realized that the captain was rattled by the fact that he easily lost his self-control because of the siren; it was the first time that the captain had ever lost his self-control.

Zhoumi swallowed the lump in his throat as he helped Jongwoon to stand. “It’s okay, Captain. You weren’t in your right state of mind after hearing the siren sing its song, and you weren’t the only one either. None of us blame you for it, nor do we plan on holding it against you.”

Jongwoon let out something akin to a snort. “I must’ve looked like a complete imbecile in front of the crew, right? If you lot hadn’t shown up, I would’ve died in that water,” he said with horrifying certainty.

Zhoumi began brushing the sand off of Jongwoon’s back. “But you didn’t. And you’d be wise to thank the gods that we made it in time to save you from that creature. Others before you were not so fortunate,” his eyes flitted over to the decaying debris from previous wrecked ships that littered the sand nearby.

Jongwoon’s chapped lips curved up slightly into a cynical grin. “That’s the second time you had to save my sorry ass, Zhoumi. As far as I know, you’re the best lieutenant any damn captain worth his salt could ever have.”

A soft smile appeared on Zhoumi’s face, for he knew exactly what Jongwoon was referring to. “Let’s hope there won’t be a third time, Captain.” 

At that moment, Sungmin appeared, his right cheek red and inflamed from where the siren’s tail had struck him. “Captain’s alive?”

“I’m not that easy to get rid of, lad,” said Jongwoon gruffly, stretching his rotator cuff to relieve his tight shoulder.

Sungmin slightly smiled, but there was an uneasy expression in his eyes. “We uhh…we have a situation.”

Immediately, Jongwoon knew it had to do with the siren. “Explain.”

Sungmin opened his mouth to talk but at the last minute, he shook his head. “Captain, I think it’d be better if you see for yourself.”

At once, the trio made their way to the rowboat where the other crewmembers were rapidly muttering in deep, hushed voices amongst themselves, evidently disturbed by something in the rowboat.

“What’s going on?” Jongwoon demanded once he arrived.

His eyes then settled upon the source of his crew’s troubled faces and he froze, not believing what he was seeing, for something unimaginable had happened.

There in the rowboat laid the siren, still looking as beautiful as when Jongwoon had seen him for the first time in the cavern. However, something major was amiss.

The siren’s merman tail was gone—it had transformed into the lower anatomy of a human male. As a result, he was left completely in the nude. His skin and hair were still wet from the fight he put up against Zhoumi and the other crewmembers that had accompanied him to the island. The luminescent shimmer of the siren’s skin had vanished, along with the purple fins that sprouted from each side of his face. One aspect that remained the same was the silver necklace that still hung around his neck. 

If Jongwoon had not already encountered this siren not too long ago, he would have never guessed that he was one in the first place. The siren simply looked like a regular youth, but by human standards, one with divine beauty. 

A gag was wrapped around the siren’s mouth and rope was tied around his torso, effectively restraining him and rendering him unable to use his enchanting voice. His brown eyes were fixated on Jongwoon’s, revealing an unmistakable emotion: anger.

Henry piped up nervously. “Captain, we—we don’t know what happened. One minute the siren was just sitting there in the rowboat and then the next minute its tail started changing into—well into those human legs that you see right there.” He looked as if his own words did not make sense as he tried to explain the unexplainable.

Jongwoon stiffened, trying to not let the siren’s nudity trifle with his mind, but he found it hard to tear his gaze away from him.

Zhoumi murmured so only Jongwoon could hear him. “Captain, if you’re going to kill it, get on with it, we need to get moving.”

Jongwoon continued to hold the siren’s gaze, which held a fierce intensity that made it difficult for the captain to think clearly. A wave of quiet anger then overtook him. Jongwoon thought that the siren had no right to be angry when he was the one responsible for rousing strife between him and Zhoumi, in addition to trying to _drown_ him. After a long pause, Jongwoon’s hand went to his belt and pulled out a blade from a sheath, a decisive look on his face. 

A deafening silence overtook the group. The siren, meanwhile, did not even flinch at the sight of the blade, which glinted dangerously in the sunlight.

Henry, who seemed downright uncomfortable about the captain’s obvious intentions, spoke up. “Captain, you’re going to slay him?”

Jongwoon finally broke his eye contact with the siren to look at Henry with dead seriousness. “Did you think I was going to let him go free after what he did?”

“Well no…but,” Henry began nervously, “Wouldn’t it be better if we sold him alive? I heard that a siren can be worth its weight in gold.” Unbeknownst to the others, Henry had a bad presentiment about the captain killing the siren in cold blood. Most other sailors would readily agree that a deadly creature like this siren should be killed off at once. But Henry’s—bless him, really—intuition told him that if the captain were to do so, terrible things unimaginable would happen to all of them.

Jongwoon’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. “You’re not suggesting we—”

“Think about it, Captain, we stand to make good coin off of his golden pipes if we can find the right person to sell him to,” Henry continued, “Rumor even has it that a siren’s blood possesses magical properties, though I reckon that’s some crackpot nonsense of the sort. But what I’m saying is that wouldn’t it be prudent to sell him and get the extra gold? A light purse is a curse, after all, don’t you agree?”

Jongwoon said nothing while he considered Henry’s absurd proposal. Even Zhoumi appeared slightly interested. The more the captain thought about it, the more it made sense. There were bound to be zealous merchants elated at the prospect of getting their hands on such a magical creature. And with the gold, Jongwoon can continue to fund his expeditions out at sea. Jongwoon has no intention of going broke before getting the chance to verify the existence of the legendary Blood Star. 

Finally, Jongwoon nodded. “We’ll find a place after 15 Shores where we can sell the siren on the black market.”

Sungmin protested. “But how can we sell him if his tail is gone?”

“I’m sure he’s got other ways of proving his nature,” said Jongwoon darkly, his eyes returning to the siren who visibly bristled. The captain then addressed the rest of the group. “All of us can’t fit in the rowboat with the siren on it. Go on ahead and have him hauled him onto the ship, then come back for us. Henry and Sungmin, stay with me. Lieutenant, head back with the others.”

Chatters of “aye, Captain” rang out.

Soon enough, the rowboat carrying the siren drifted off into the direction of the Dark Shadow. 

While they waited, Henry spoke. “Captain, I uh—I just wanted to let you know that I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Jongwoon appraised the loyal young sailor for a moment. “Zhoumi told me about your idea with the beeswax and about your quick action in the cavern. You’re a good lad, Henry, so I’m going to trust your judgment.” He then gave a friendly clap on Henry’s shoulder.

Henry’s boyish face flushed at the captain’s praise for him. “T-Thank you, Captain,” he said. Inwardly, he felt a sense of relief that the captain decided not to kill the siren. 

Sungmin, meanwhile, held a hand against his sore cheek. “I don’t suppose we have any willow bark somewhere on the ship, do we? Gods, that tail fucking _hurt!_ ”

Onboard the Dark Shadow, Zhoumi was helping another sailor, Kangin, haul the siren onto the ship. By the time the siren was plopped roughly onto the wooden deck, the rowboat was already making its way back to the island to retrieve the captain, Sungmin, and Henry.

Kangin was panting heavily once he stepped foot onto the ship. “Gods, this one’s little but he’s about as heavy as a damn crate of iron!”

Zhoumi wiped the sweat off of his forehead, sparing a glance at the siren. “At least this time around it didn’t have its tail to slap us around with.”

Kangin laughed. “Poor Sungmin, the lad didn’t even see it coming…Why _did_ his tail disappear anyway?”

“My guess is that its magic started to wear off the minute we took it out of the water.”

“Does that mean he can no longer enchant us with his singing?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as to be sure of that,” said Zhoumi, “Either way, we’re not taking the risk to find out. Better to keep it muzzled than be sorry.” 

Their conversation was cut short when another sailor approached them.

"Took you lot long enough!" the sailor, Hyukjae, grumbled. He stopped short when he saw the new arrival. “Seven seas, you lot actually captured the siren?” he said in disbelief as he stared at the naked siren in bewilderment. 

Within a matter of time, other crewmembers began to converge around the siren, expressions of utter shock written on their faces.

“The thing is, Captain wants to sell him on the black market,” explained Kangin.

"Does he now? Where’s the captain anway?" asked Hyukjae, looking around.

"He and the others were left behind since we all couldn't fit into the rowboat. They'll be here shortly," answered Zhoumi.

Meanwhile, another sailor called Kyuhyun, boldly approached the siren and crouched down for a closer look. “Gods, Lieutenant, this one’s a pretty one,” he grabbed ahold of the siren’s chin to better inspect him, “Look at his hair, it looks as if it’s pure gold!”

The siren roughly jerked his head away from Kyuhyun’s hand, glaring daggers at him.

Kyuhyun snorted. “He’s a feisty one, too.”

“Leave it, Kyuhyun, don’t provoke it,” said Zhoumi warningly.

A different sailor, Siwon, frowned at Zhoumi in confusion. “Why are you calling him ‘it,’ Lieutenant? Are you sure he’s even a siren? Looks to me like he’s a young lad!”

“Don’t fool yourself, Siwon,” said Zhoumi tersely, “Just ‘cause it no longer has its tail, doesn’t mean it’s one of us. The siren is _not_ human.”

At that moment, the captain and the others had already climbed aboard the ship. Jongwoon stumbled a bit, still feeling a bit weak from his near-death experience, as he made his way over to the group.

“Captain,” the crewmembers addressed him. Even waterlogged, almost-drowned, and still somewhat disoriented, the captain still commanded respect from his own crew.

Jongwoon silently approached them, setting his sights on the figure on the floor.

The siren lied there, shifting occasionally at the discomfort of his bonds but this time, his eyes were void of any emotion as he stared at the captain, which sparked a twitch of unease within him compared to when the siren had looked at him with fury. 

Zhoumi addressed Jongwoon. “What are your orders, Captain?” 

After a brief pause, Jongwoon replied.

“The brig,” he said lowly, without breaking the siren’s gaze.

On most sailing vessels, including the Dark Shadow, existed a room where prisoners and enemies alike were kept for a multitude of reasons, mostly due to scuffles out at sea where captains forced other captains into surrender, leading to the winning captain taking prisoners on board their ship. This room was otherwise known as the brig, and without a doubt, it was the most dismal place to be on a ship.

Zhoumi nodded. He then made to pick the siren off the floor, but Jongwoon stopped him. “No,” he said, before turning to a crewmember standing close to him, “Donghae, go and find a spare set of clothes and bring them to me at once.”

Zhoumi looked at him curiously, not understanding why the captain was intent on having the siren dressed. The truth was, Jongwoon could not bear being unable to think straight on account of the siren's glaring nudity. 

“A-Aye, Captain,” Donghae gave one last perplexed glance at the siren before running off to fulfill the captain’s order.

The captain then observed the rest of the crew who were still gawking at the siren. For some inexplicable and unusual reason, Jongwoon did not want his crew to marvel at the siren and his beauty. With a hard look on his face, Jongwoon barked out orders. “The rest of you get back to manning the ship! We’ve been delayed for far too long and I don’t plan on wasting any more time idling around here!” The crowd slowly dispersed, somewhat disoriented, leaving Jongwoon and Zhoumi with the naked siren.

Eventually, Donghae reappeared with a set of clothes, holding them out to Jongwoon. Jongwoon took the clothes from him, and the crewmember promptly left to help out the rest of his shipmates.

“Help me dress him,” said Jongwoon to Zhoumi. 

Wordlessly, Zhoumi reached down to forcefully pull the siren to his feet. The siren stumbled, not accustomed to standing on two feet, much less being manhandled. Zhoumi held him still while the captain moved closer, never taking his eyes off of the siren’s beautiful face.

In a voice that he barely recognized as his own, Jongwoon said, “Lift up your knee.”

The siren stared at him with a defiant expression on his face.

“You don’t want to get dressed? Fine by me, you can rot naked in the cell we’re going to put you in for all I care,” Jongwoon said impassively.

These words seemed to have an impact on the siren for he gingerly lifted one foot, allowing Jongwoon to insert it inside one of the trousers’ legs.

“The other foot,” Jongwoon ordered. 

The siren set down his foot and lifted the other. Jongwoon repeated the same action.

Jongwoon then pulled the trousers up the siren’s legs, his throat feeling tight when he pulled them up past his crotch. Jongwoon’s hands worked to adjust the hem of trousers on the siren’s hips, all the while trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

Afterwards, Jongwoon held up an over-sized linen puffy-sleeved shirt. “I am going to untie you so that I can put this on you. Any wrong movement on your part and my lieutenant here won’t hesitate to act accordingly.”

The siren stood still while Jongwoon worked to undo the knots on the rope restraining him. The ropes fell to the floor, revealing angry red marks around the siren’s torso and arms where the coarse rope had restrained them in place. For a brief moment, the siren seriously considered trying to escape. But after having been captured for the first time in his life by humans, he understood it would be unwise to underestimate this particular group of sailors. This, along with another reason that only the siren knew, is why he kept still while he let the captain dress him. 

Wasting no time, Jongwoon pulled the shirt over the siren’s head and down his delicate neck. Upon grabbing the siren’s arms to pull them through the sleeves, Jongwoon was struck by how the siren’s skin felt softer than the world’s finest silk. _What would it feel like to run his hands all over that beautiful soft skin?_ Jongwoon mindlessly wondered. Then, as if coming to his senses, his jaw tightened and he forced himself to push the lewd thoughts from his head while he continued with his work. 

Once the siren was dressed, Jongwoon tied his wrists together with the rope, taking care to make the knots less abrasive. Throughout this entire time, the siren had not removed his eyes from the captain’s face; they held curiosity in them but also something indistinguishable, as he observed how the captain was treating him in a gentle manner, a complete reverse in demeanor from when the captain had threateningly wielded a dagger right in front of him.

When he was done, Jongwoon stepped back and cleared his throat, somewhat awkwardly. “Take him away,” he said so lowly that Zhoumi almost did not hear him.

Zhoumi whistled for another crewmember and afterwards, the two of them forcibly dragged the siren downstairs, removing him from Jongwoon’s sight and leaving him with a somewhat vacant feeling.

When Zhoumi returned from the brig, he was surprised to find the captain still rooted to his spot since he gave the order for the siren to be taken down to the brig; he appeared to be deep in thought. Zhoumi approached him, taking notice of the captain’s tired expression.

“Captain, you should get some rest,” Zhoumi advised, “You’ve been through a lot and you need your energy for the rest of the journey to 15 Shores. I’ll take charge of the ship while you rest, yeah?”

For once, Jongwoon did not argue, nodding his head in agreement as he became acutely aware of his exhaustion. 

“Make sure he gets fed,” was the last thing the captain said before stalking off to his cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is familiar with the ‘Odyssey,’ you’ll know that’s where I got the beeswax part from. Thanks for reading.


	4. Strange Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would update weekly, I'm sorry ;; After going over this chapter for like the 10th time, I was still unhappy with it so I rewrote it. Anyway, thanks for your patience, I'll have more chapters uploaded soon.

_The siren was perched on his usual rock, his beautiful eyes fixated on Jongwoon, watching how he determinedly waded through the water in a futile attempt to reach him as if the siren was a coveted light in eternal darkness. With every step that Jongwoon took, he sunk deeper into the water and did not stop even when the water level reached his chin. That was how strong the siren’s attraction was, even in Jongwoon’s unconscious state. Once Jongwoon was completely submerged in the water, he heard the siren’s sweet voice overhead:_

_“The sea does not forgive those who betray her...”_

Jongwoon jolted awake, his head throbbing in slight pain, with his forehead covered in cold sweat. His eyes squinted slightly from the rays of the morning sun shining through the windows on his form, while short breaths escaped his parched lips. Two days had gone by since the captain had broken out into a fever, causing him to be confined to his bed, much to his dismay. It could not be helped, for Jongwoon had woken up on the morning following the day he nearly drowned on the island, his body shivering and his temperature high. It was Zhoumi who forced him to be bedridden until the fever subsided and during this time, Jongwoon’s slumbers were visited by recurring dreams about a certain magical creature.

As he continued to lie there on his bed, Jongwoon’s mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about the siren which he could not put into words. He did not understand why he had these dreams (at one point it occurred to Jongwoon of the possibility that the licorice root Zhoumi had administered to him for his fever was the culprit), but they presented him with eerie feelings about the siren. 

_The sea does not forgive those who betray her…_

Jongwoon slowly sat up, his face’s stony sharpness taking on a contemplative expression. Were these words implicitly signifying to Jongwoon that selling the siren in exchange for gold would amount to a betrayal of the very sea that he had grown to love and respect so much?

Before he could ponder the question even further, the door to his cabin creaked open, and Jongwoon turned his head to see his lieutenant entering, holding a cup and a small burlap sack in his hands.

“Oh? You’re awake?” the tall man said in mild surprise as he approached the bed, his eyes carefully surveying Jongwoon who appeared slightly shaken.

“How long has it been since I was bedridden? Two days?” Jongwoon’s voice croaked, letting Zhoumi brush his dark bangs away from his forehead in order to touch it with the back of his hand.

“Aye,” Zhoumi affirmed, before stepping back, “But the good news is that your fever’s going away. Just to be completely safe, you’d better drink this up.” He held out the cup for Jongwoon to take. 

The thought of ingesting more licorice root made the captain scrunch his face up in disgust, and he pushed Zhoumi’s hand away, eyeing the cup warily. “I’m not drinking anymore of that stuff, it’s been giving me funny dreams.”

Zhoumi looked at him questioningly. “What are you talking about, Captain?”

“I…” Jongwoon began before shaking his head, “Never mind, it’s nothing... Anyway, is everything in order?”

Zhoumi eyed him unsurely as if he did not want to let the subject go, but he decided not to press further. “The crew’s a little restless to reach land soon, but I managed to run a pretty tight ship in your absence,” he then held out the little sack, “If you’re not going to drink the licorice root, then at least eat this.”

Jongwoon took the sack and opened it, revealing dried fruit inside of it. “Are we at least getting any closer to our destination?” he asked, putting a piece of dried apricot into his mouth.

“Aye. Thankfully, we’re moving along quicker than I thought we would, given that the storm threw a wrench at us,” Zhoumi responded, “If the weather continues to be fair, I anticipate us reaching 15 Shores in just a few more days.”

Jongwoon paused his chewing, something flickering in his eyes. “What of the siren?” He tried to keep his face stoic, revealing no indication that he was actually worried about the siren. 

Zhoumi’s face turned serious. “I was just going to mention the siren, Captain, that’s partly why I came here—the siren’s refusing to eat. I’ve been taking some of our rations, mostly dried anchovies, down to the brig three times a day since I assumed that sirens ate fish only, but every time I come back, the food remains untouched. I checked up on the siren earlier this morning, and I reckon it’s starting to look ill.” The lieutenant looked as if he wanted to say something else but seemed to have thought the better of it.

Jongwoon’s dark eyes hardened, letting this unexpected information sink in. After a pause, he said, _“Him.”_ His tone was curt.

Zhoumi blinked as if he did not understand him. “Beg your pardon, Captain?”

Jongwoon’s eyes met Zhoumi’s, holding a staunch expression in them, “ _Him_ , Lieutenant, not _it._ ” 

Zhoumi appeared slightly taken aback by Jongwoon’s adamance on having him regard the siren as if he were truly human. Was the captain really that perturbed over him referring to the siren as “it?”

Jongwoon started to climb out of bed. “Have the crew ensnare some fish, the siren needs real food. Even I don’t want to touch those anchovies, save those for Jinjoo.” 

Zhoumi sighed, deciding to speak his mind. “Don’t know why you’re being keen on the siren’s well-being, Captain if I’m candidly speaking. It’s only a matter of time before we get rid of i— _him_.”

“I’m not,” Jongwoon lied, slipping on his black leather boots, “I just don’t want corpses festering on my ship.”

Unbeknownst to Zhoumi, Jongwoon was beginning to have qualms about selling the siren as if he was a precious commodity—though to be fair, a siren _was_ considered to be invaluable by many merchants. Jongwoon’s qualms were brought on about by his dreams, which coincidentally (or not), broached upon an important characteristic about the captain.

You see, Jongwoon was no ordinary sailor; the sea was literally in his blood. He was born as a result of a love relationship between a mortal man and a sea nymph. His father was an Athenian sailor who came upon the sea nymph when his ship got wrecked from being caught in a powerful storm. The sea nymph, who happened to be in the ship’s vicinity at that time, had decisively rescued him and ended up falling in love with the sailor. Their union resulted in the birth of a baby boy; a mortal who inherited his father’s talent in sea navigation and his mother’s love for the sea. But their union did not last long for the baby’s father died from pneumonia, leaving the sea nymph to care for the baby by herself, which angered the sea god who did not want one of his subjects to live away from his realm. The sea nymph had to supplicate the temperamental sea god to let her care for her son until he fully came of age, which the sea god grudgingly allowed. 

By the time Jongwoon came of age, he had successfully risen through the ranks of the Athenian navy through his sailing prowess. His mother had always touted how Jongwoon starkly looked alike to his father, and how he was just as fearless as him. Thus, it pained her when she told her dear son about her promise to the sea god. Jongwoon surprisingly harbored no feelings of resentment towards his mother when she told him this, but only because he had already made plans to leave _her_. And so, after she bid farewell to him, an independent Jongwoon splintered off from the navy to fulfill his lifelong dream of going on perilous, but fantastic sea adventures like his father had done. He was attracted by the idea that he can accumulate wealth, but most importantly, _freedom_ as a sailor. He would not be deterred by the dangers of sailing; on the contrary, he welcomed them.

Months of sailing turned into years, and Jongwoon developed a profound love for the sea and her timeless beauty and unpredictability. Jongwoon knew that there was much of the sea to navigate. When he heard the stories about the Blood Star, a legendary star that is rumored to guide sailors to the end of the world, Jongwoon initially thought they were a load of nonsense, spouted by bards who needed something compelling to sing about to their audiences. But then he met an old blind sailor one day who swore upon the River Styx that it was real, and how the hero Heracles himself tried to find the star shortly before he embarked on his 12 Labors, only to dismally fail. This sparked a strong sense of curiosity within Jongwoon which consequently fueled his desire to verify whether this star, as well as the end of the world, truly existed. As a mariner, Jongwoon highly regarded the importance of stars for charting courses to many different places, to many new adventures, to many possibilities. And so, he was determined to see if the Blood Star was a just pipe dream, or a reality. 

Most people would think that Jongwoon was foolishly chasing myths. But Jongwoon firmly believed in the idea the world was at _his_ helm, that he was at liberty to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to chase myths, then so be it. Why not try to _live_ like a myth?

Still, the captain could not shake off the siren’s harrowing words from his dream: _The sea does not forgive those who betray her_.

Such words made him reconsider whether the world was truly at his helm.

In the evening, Jongwoon personally went downstairs to the brig with a freshly caught mackerel in a small net and a canteen of fresh water. No one on the ship had openly questioned why the captain out of the blue had them net some fish, but secretly they knew it had to do with the mysterious entity that was currently being confined below in the depths of the ship.

When Jongwoon reached the brig, he found Jinjoo lurking in front of the door. It did not surprise the captain that she was down here, as this was the area where rats commonly ran amok. But what disturbed him was the way Jinjoo was staring intently at the door with her owl-like eyes as if she was trying to see through it. Once she spotted Jongwoon, she promptly made her way over to him, letting out a soft meow. Jongwoon furrowed his eyebrows when Jinjoo brushed up against his ankles before she sniffed curiously at the fish he held in one hand.

“Shoo,” Jongwoon ordered, prodding the cat in the direction of the stairs with his foot. If Jinjoo had understood him, it was not discernible on her face, nevertheless, she gave one last meow before trotting up the stairs, leaving the captain alone in front of the door. He stood there for what felt like ages, feeling somewhat anxious about what to expect, given that this would be his first time meeting the siren in a fully conscious capacity. Never mind his internal conflict over selling the siren for gold...Would the siren even know that Jongwoon was having strange dreams about him?

Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and treaded inside the damp room that was lit only by a single lantern that swung slightly below the ceiling. There were no windows, which sustained the lingering scent of mildew and human filth in the air. The room was virtually empty except for a figure seated in the right corner of the room. 

There sat the siren dully; his hands were bound together with shackles instead of rope. His golden hair was unkempt and dirty, and several strands clung to his grimy face, which was kept bent down, a cloth tied around where his mouth was. Small plates of dried anchovies had been placed next to him, virtually untouched.

The sight was a startling contrast to the powerful and alluring being that Jongwoon had seen inside the cavern back on the island, such that it even managed to stoke a twinge of pity within the captain.

Jongwoon approached him, his footsteps firm but also circumspect. Once he was close enough, he carefully set down the mackerel along with the canteen of water at the siren’s feet. The siren sat there with his head still bowed, making no motion whatsoever to the new aliments that Jongwoon brought for him, opting to sit there motionlessly and silently. His refusal to look at the captain bothered the latter for some reason. Was he merely sleeping?

Jongwoon crouched down and extended out a hand to softly grab ahold of the siren’s chin, tilting it upwards to verify whether the siren was truly asleep. A little moan escaped the siren's mouth upon feeling a hand tilting his face upwards. Jongwoon's dark eyes then raked over the siren’s face which to his quiet surprise, looked sickly pale. There were dark bruises underneath his eyes, which held a vacant expression as they tiredly looked at Jongwoon, and his lips were dry and lifeless. Jongwoon was careful to keep his face neutral as he released the siren’s chin before proceeding to undo his gag and afterwards, he stood back up. 

The siren weakly coughed once the gag was pulled away.

Jongwoon’s arms folded across his chest, suddenly taking on an intimidating demeanor while he stared down at the pitiful figure—the same one that tried to drown him. 

“You’re not going to serenade me with that pretty voice of yours this time?” he asked sarcastically.

The siren remained silent, but his eyes glinted with faint mischief when they bored into Jongwoon’s, as if challenging him. Before long, he began to softly hum. The sound that reached Jongwoon’s ears was somewhat weak, yet beautiful, but it was still enough to cause Jongwoon’s mind to rattle before he had the right mind to quickly clamp his hand over the siren’s mouth, muffling his sound.

“Do that again and I’ll cut your throat out,” Jongwoon said shortly, his voice laced with the promise of a threat. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from the siren’s mouth, his body ready to act should the siren attempt to serenade him again. 

A corner of the siren’s mouth slightly curved upwards in amusement, seemingly content with the reaction that he elicited from the other man. He then spoke, his voice exuding a certain frailness. “You should take advantage and do it now while I’m vulnerable.” 

Jongwoon bit back a wry smile. He did not expect such a response from the siren.

“Why would I do that? Your body won’t be of any value to me if it’s contaminated with illness,” said Jongwoon, watching the siren’s face carefully, “But you know what _will_ be of value to me?” He then took a step closer, his eyes settling upon the silver piece of jewelry that hung around the siren’s neck.

The siren tensed, clearly sensing how the captain was eyeing his necklace with keen interest.

Jongwoon extended a hand out to the silver chain, but before he could lay a finger on it, the siren’s voice abruptly stopped him. “Don’t.”

Jongwoon looked slightly taken aback by the other’s response, and almost instantly, his eyes narrowed in a challenging manner. “ _Don’t?_ I will tell you this only once, siren: you do _not_ give me orders on my own ship.” He reached for the necklace again. 

“Don’t!” This time, the siren’s voice was forceful. But what took Jongwoon by surprise was the way his eyes burned with a vehemence of boldness. It was so strong that it stirred feelings of uneasiness within the captain, such that he slowly withdrew his hand, while his gaze never left the siren’s. It was clear to Jongwoon that the necklace must be of great importance to the siren enough for him to brashly challenge the captain the way he just did.

An uncomfortable silence then loomed over them. 

The siren shifted, his eyes settling upon the mackerel, an unmistakable look of hunger in them.

Jongwoon was quick to notice this. “Quite a feast compared to those anchovies, eh?” he said mockingly.

Despite his sickly appearance, the siren still managed to smile cynically, unfazed by the captain’s tone. “Of course. You brought me actual food and not that vile rubbish that your subordinate brings me.”

“You little…” Jongwoon grumbled under his breath, trailing off before he got to the expletive. After all, the siren was not wrong about the foul anchovies. “You should be grateful that you’re getting fed at all.”

“I should be grateful that you are feeding me while keeping me imprisoned in this miserable room?” the siren shot back, his tone incredulous, “Sailor, if you want me to be grateful to you, then release me from _these._ ” He held up his bound wrists, the metal chain rattling in response.

Wordlessly, Jongwoon crouched down once more and took ahold of the siren’s thin wrists in his hands. “Give me one good reason to do so, siren. Because right now, I have no interest in giving you a second chance to finish off what you failed to do.”

“And what did I fail to do?” the siren asked, with an almost bored expression on his face. He appeared unperturbed by the fact that his wrists were being held by the captain’s strong hands, his touch quite warm against his skin.

A palpable tension filled the air between them. 

Jongwoon brought his voice down a notch. “Are you really going to play the innocent? Or have you simply forgotten that you lured me to you so that you could drown me?” He drew the siren closer to him, looking intently into his eyes, which twinkled for a split second.

The siren licked his dried lips, an action that did not go unseen by the captain. “Sailor, it is not my fault that it is in my nature to have an enchanting singing voice. And I would not have to use it on your kind if many of you were not so adamant on hunting me down for my body, namely my blood.” 

“So now you’re blaming my kind?” Jongwoon asked, mildly amused by the siren’s wit.

“Well, greed is in your kind’s nature, sailor.”

For some odd reason, Jongwoon felt the need to assert his title to the siren. “It’s _Captain_ ,” he said curtly, his hands tightening slightly around the siren’s wrists, “Not _sailor._ ”

The siren looked at him blankly. “Captain,” he repeated, his tone mellow, “Captain Kim Jongwoon of the Dark Shadow.”

Jongwoon froze in silent shock. For a brief second all he could focus on was the way his name rolled off the siren’s tongue so gracefully. But just how did the siren know his full name and the name of his ship?

The siren smiled knowingly as if he read the captain’s mind.

Jongwoon kept his face neutral, refusing to show that the siren’s words had affected him. He promptly released his wrists, standing back up. “Do you have a name then?”

The siren blinked, looking up at the captain. “You wish to know my name?” he asked skeptically.

Jongwoon did not answer right away. Frankly, he did not know what compelled him to ask the siren for his name. Perhaps he could not tolerate the idea of the siren knowing his name, but not vice versa. “I like to know the names of my enemies and anyone who wrongs me before I finish with them.”

“You must know quite a lot of names, then, Captain,” the siren said pointedly, unfazed by the implicit threat in Jongwoon’s words. 

Jongwoon curled his lip. “Too many for one man to know, siren.”

The other man sat up straighter, eyeing the captain in a bold fashion. “It’s _Ryeowook._ Not _siren._ ”

Ryeowook?

Jongwoon stayed silent for a moment, holding Ryeowook's gaze, not even caring that Ryeowook had decided to shamelessly throw his own words back in his face. The latter stared back at him evenly, as if gauging the captain’s inner thoughts. 

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon drawled out, the name feeling like sweet wine on his tongue. It was a beautiful name, there was no doubt about it. And now that he knew his name, the siren became slightly less enigmatic. But there were still so many questions left unanswered.

There was one in particular that Jongwoon wanted an answer to.

“On the island…” he began, a familiar scene resurfacing in his mind, “What did you mean when you told me that that I was different from the others?”

Faint surprise flickered in Ryeowook’s eyes as if he did not expect Jongwoon to specifically ask about those words. “Well, you are,” he said, looking at Jongwoon with renewed interest, “You are no ordinary human, Captain. The sea is a part of you, I knew right away when I first saw you.”

Jongwoon visibly stiffened at Ryeowook's response. Just how much did the siren know about him? 

“But there was something else…” Ryeowook went on as if his words had not perturbed the other man, “I said that you were different from other sailors I have encountered because you were the only one who praised my singing, Captain.”

Jongwoon looked at him in utter disbelief. “What?”

“Other sailors before you never cared to praise my singing because like I already told you, greed is in your kind’s nature. It was what always clouded their eyesight and their judgment every time they laid their eyes upon me,” Ryeowook explained, “But on that day when I looked into _your_ eyes, I did not see greed in them.”

Jongwoon vividly recalled the moment that Ryeowook was referring to. With Ryeowook looking at him so intensely, it felt as if he was reliving that same moment. Moreover, his voice was laced with such sincerity that Jongwoon felt inclined to believe him. Was the siren telling the truth? Or was this a ploy to trick him?

Jongwoon shook his head as if in denial. “Listen here, you’ve already messed with my mind once, I’d be damned if I let you do it again—I have no reason to believe you when you tried to drown me in that water.”

“What reason would I have to lie to you, Captain?” said Ryeowook, “I am _your_ prisoner, therefore I am at your mercy. It would be foolish of me to try anything against you in my current state.”

Jongwoon could not argue with that logic. But that did not mean that he could trust him.

He did his best to maintain his composure. “You knew that you were luring me to you, so why didn’t you kill me right away?”

Ryeowook’s hands absentmindedly fiddled with a loose thread from his trousers. “Captain, if I had wanted to kill you right away, I could have done so easily,” he said patiently, “You have no idea how many sailors, with just a hum of my voice, have set fire to their own ships. I could have set that same fate upon you when your ship came uninvited to my shores. Lucky for you, your own crew was clever enough to find a way to resist my singing… I admit that I underestimated you.”

So many thoughts ran through Jongwoon’s head, but all he could focus on was the idea that Ryeowook could have easily willed him to burn his own ship; just visualizing it sent a horrifying chill crawling down his spine. A small part of him was forced to consider that maybe—just _maybe,_ Ryeowook was not lying.

“But you must know,” Ryeowook said carefully, his eyes directly latching onto Jongwoon’s, “That I never actually intended to kill you, Captain.”

Jongwoon stood there with an air of rigidity, the staleness of the room doing nothing but aggravating his uneasiness upon hearing those words. To him, it was suffocating, that it rendered him unable to think clearly. “You’re a fool if you think I won’t find that hard to believe…Are you about finished, then?”

Blank surprise crossed Ryeowook’s face, for he did not expect such a dismissive response from the other man. He slowly came to understand that the captain absolutely did not trust him at all. 

“It seems that you have no intention to release me...Fine. But one way or another, I _will_ get out of this room.”

Jongwoon’s ears were not deaf to the slight ominous tone that the siren’s words held, but he chose to not let it affect him. “You’re right,” he said evenly, “But that will happen only on _my_ terms."

“I may have underestimated you and your crew, Captain, but you should not do the same with me.”

At this point, Jongwoon no longer wanted to hear any more from Ryeowook. “That’s enough talk out of you,” he said, reaching for the cloth on the floor. He then moved forward with the intent of gagging Ryeowook, not caring that doing so would render him unable to eat. The siren’s sweet voice then caused him to stop.

“Captain Kim.”

Jongwoon paused and was startled to see how the siren’s eyes glowed uncharacteristically in the dim light from the lantern.

“The sea does not forgive those who betray her...”

The other man did not reply immediately, for the siren’s words had a chilling effect on him. These were the exact words that were recited to him in his dreams.

Jongwoon let the gag drop to the floor, a shadow crossing his face. Without another word, he turned on his heel and promptly headed towards the door, opening it with an unsteady hand before exiting. He could still feel his heart racing.

How was it possible that the siren, who was in chains, managed to make Jongwoon feel like _he_ was the one in danger on his own ship? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this making sense so far? gjgdskjgsj I feel like I rambled on too much in this chapter. If something's not adding up, or is just plain confusing, please let me know, I want this story to make sense.


	5. The Whale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I apologize for the delay ;;  
> Every time I look over the chapters, I always find something to change and then I end up rewriting the whole thing smh.

Over the course of the next few days, the Dark Shadow continued to sail smoothly on the sea, a fair breeze powering her sails, making them look like billowing clouds against the bright blue horizon. The ship was making good time to her destination, much to the captain’s satisfaction. However, everyone on the ship was about to find out at the very last minute that having a siren on board as a prisoner carried its own peril...

It was midday when the incident happened.

Out on the quarterdeck, Zhoumi spotted Jongwoon at the helm, and he was not oblivious to the way the captain looked contemplative—more so than usual—as if his mind were besieged with troubled thoughts. Nearby, Jinjoo was lounging on a burlap sack, keeping the captain some much appreciated company while basking in the warm sunlight.

Zhoumi carefully approached the other man. “Anything new, Captain?” he asked, handing the other man a bit of salted jerky, with a decidedly brotherly air. 

Jongwoon was drawn away from his thoughts upon hearing the other man’s voice. “Negative, Lieutenant,” he answered, taking the jerky, “Not unless you count that idiot Hyukjae having a go at Donghae for cheating at dice.” 

Zhoumi sighed as if this was not his first time hearing about quarreling amongst the crew. After all, when being stuck together on a constricted ship in open waters, it was inevitable for tempers to flare from time to time. “Did they now? It’s not surprising, I reckon, they’re just a bit restless because we’re almost nearing land,” he said, “But if they go at each other again, I’ll bash their heads together this time around.”

“Aye,” said Jongwoon, giving a curt nod, “See to it that you do, I’ve just about had it with their nonsense.”

“Anyway,” Zhoumi began, changing the subject, “Just wanted to inform you that I’ll be heading downstairs to give the siren his food…”

Jongwoon’s hand on the wheel visibly tensed, but his eyes remained fixated on the horizon. After his first visit to see Ryeowook in the brig, Captain Kim did not set foot downstairs again. He put Zhoumi in charge of delivering food and water to Ryeowook instead, but he did not know whether it was for better or for worse, as he could not stop thinking about him.

“No,” said the captain abruptly after a pause, “I’ll do it this time.”

Remote surprise flickered on Zhoumi’s face. “You sure, Captain? Look, if the siren’s been giving you a hard time, it’s really no trouble for me to go—”

“Who said the siren’s been giving me a hard time?” Jongwoon demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. 

But Zhoumi was unperturbed. “Captain, are you really going to pretend that you haven’t been acting weird ever since you made that trip down to the brig the other day?” he said unabashedly, “Even a blind man can see that something happened between you and the siren!”

“Watch your words, I have a right mind to chain you to the mast and leave you there all day!” grumbled Jongwoon annoyedly.

Zhoumi lowly chuckled, unfazed by Jongwoon’s attitude. “Gods, Captain, you’re a grown man, but you’re still so endearing when you sulk, there’s no denying it. Look, I don’t know what happened between you and the siren,” he began seriously, “But you need to get your shit together, I can’t have you moping about because of one pretty siren.”

Jongwoon looked at Zhoumi quizzically. “You think he’s pretty?”

Zhoumi paused as if to think about his words. “Well—he’s quite pretty for a fish—but that’s not the point! You know, he’s also been asking for you...” he trailed off, watching for Jongwoon's reaction.

Jongwoon stiffened in place. _Ryeowook had been asking for him?_

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the two men, Jinjoo’s owl-like eyes suddenly flashed open and her pupils narrowed to slits. Her petite nose began sniffing the air curiously before she promptly hopped off the burlap sack and extended her paws out on the floor in front of her, easing her body into a big stretch. She caught Jongwoon and Zhoumi’s attention when she suddenly let out a vicious hiss. 

Zhoumi frowned at Jinjoo’s odd behavior while Jongwoon’s eyebrows furrowed at the way the hairs of her tabby coat were puffing out as if she sensed danger.

“Jinjoo, what’s the matter with you, girl?” Zhoumi demanded, looking at her strangely. 

The cat ignored him and began caterwauling, her ears back and flat against her head.

That was when Jongwoon felt the hairs at his nape prickle, and he turned to Zhoumi at once, feeling uneasy. “Something’s not right—”

Jongwoon let out a noise of surprise and he immediately braced himself on the wheel upon feeling the ship lurch violently to one side. Zhoumi, on the other hand, stumbled to the floor with a grunt. Below on the main deck, other crewmembers yelped in shock, with some of them losing their balance as well.

A rattled Jinjoo hissed sharply once more before scurrying away to find somewhere safe to hide.

A fearful look crossed Zhoumi’s face as he stood up on unsteady feet. “What the fuck was that?”

Before Jongwoon could respond, a voice from the main deck hollered out to him.

“Captain!” Kyuhyun’s voice boomed. He, along with a few other sailors was cautiously peering over the wooden railing where the impact was felt. “Something massive is attacking the hull!”

Jongwoon felt a weight drop in his heart. Without a second to spare, he immediately rushed over to the railing on the quarterdeck, and he slammed his hands on the wooden edge, frantically looking over to see what Kyuhyun saw. He did not even care how precariously he was looming over the edge; all that mattered to him at the moment was that his beloved ship was in danger.

“Careful, Captain!” advised Zhoumi worriedly, keeping a safer distance from the railing.

His words went deaf to Jongwoon’s ears as his sharp eyes singled out a giant aquatic creature that was visible underneath the water’s surface, swimming along the length of the vessel.

Jongwoon vehemently cursed, banging his fist against the edge. “I can’t believe it—it’s a damn sperm whale!” It then dawned upon him that the whale was deliberately ramming its giant mass against the hull—it was trying to sink them!

“A-A sperm whale?” Kyuhyun, who seconds ago joined them on the quarterdeck, asked in shock, “What in seven seas is it attacking us for?”

Jongwoon felt his heart pounding and he tried hard to keep his calm for everyone’s sake but he could not take his mind off of Kyuhyun’s question. Indeed, why was a sperm whale suddenly attacking the ship when they were about to make landfall soon?

Jongwoon’s dark eyes met Zhoumi’s; they both shared a fleeting knowing look with each other, which quickly confirmed Jongwoon’s arising suspicions.

“Son of a bitch,” Jongwoon cursed under his breath.

Kyuhyun piped up again, looking uneasy. “What should we do, Captain? Should we harpoon it?”

Jongwoon contemplated the question for a minute. There were many occasions where the crew of the Dark Shadow had to defend themselves out on the sea, not just against storms, but against other ships that had hostile intentions towards them. However, in all of Jongwoon’s sailing life, this marked the first time he was up against a whale…and with Ryeowook on board, it was not a coincidence. 

Jongwoon pushed himself away from the railing, seething with anger. “Prepare the harpoon, and wait for my command!” he decisively ordered. He then took off briskly towards the stairs, his footsteps thudding with resoluteness.

Zhoumi hurried behind him. “Captain!”

Jongwoon continued his way, a hard look in his eyes. “This is _his_ doing,” he said acidly, his footsteps heavy as he walked down the short flight of stairs from the quarterdeck.

“ _Jongwoon_ ,” Zhoumi tried again, forgoing using the other man’s title, “Stop, man! Can’t you see that we’ve mistakenly underestimated the siren? You can’t do anything reckless—we don’t know what he’s truly capable of!”

A familiar phrase ringed in Jongwon’s mind:

_“I may have underestimated you, Captain, but you should not underestimate me.”_

Jongwoon paused in front of the entrance that led to the brig. “Zhoumi, you know I regard you as if you were a brother of my own blood,” he said evenly, with an air of gravity, “But I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that my ship, including every single one of us, arrives intact at 15 Shores. I’ll get struck down by the sky god himself before I let the siren destroy everything I’ve worked my entire life for!” With that, he descended the stairs, leaving his lieutenant behind to stare after him apprehensively, but also in faint awe.

Soon enough, Jongwoon threw the door to the brig open and barged in, fuming. His fury blinded his senses, such that he did not even care that the room was emanating a terrible stench.

Ryeowook remained put in his usual place in the corner, surrounded by scattered fish bones from his meals that were provided to him. He appeared much better than the last time Jongwoon had seen him, if not more invigorated. At the captain’s sudden intrusion, his face registered a lack of emotion.

Jongwoon stormed his way over to where the siren was, his blood flowing hotly through his veins. He extended a hand to roughly pull the gag away from Ryeowook’s mouth and then afterwards he grabbed ahold of the strands of golden hair at the back of his head, yanking on them so that the siren was forced to look up at the furious captain. 

“Call off the whale,” Jongwoon gritted through his teeth. 

Ryeowook unflinchingly looked up at him with those soft brown eyes, showing no signs of fear or pain despite the vice grip that the captain had on his hair. “Is that what that commotion was?”

“Don’t play innocent! It’s no coincidence that my ship’s being attacked right when we’re about to arrive at our destination! I _know_ this is your doing!”

Ryeowook let out something akin to a snort. “If you are even a half-decent captain, your ship shouldn’t be having problems in the first place.”

The bold statement caused Jongwoon to release his hold on Ryeowook’s hair and take a step back, looking at him incredulously. “ _Half-decent?_ You’re talking to _the_ Kim Jongwoon, the best fucking captain of the damn seven seas! I’m not going to order you again—c _all off the whale!_ ”

At that moment, the ship rocked violently again, causing Jongwoon to topple over, a profane curse escaping his lips.

“If you want him to stop,” Ryeowook began, watching how Jongwoon righted himself back up, “You have to release me.”

Jongwoon stared at him, frowning and eyeing the siren intently, wondering how such a creature could be so daring and cheeky. For a moment, the only sound to be heard was the whale faintly vocalizing outside of the ship. It was an eerie sound that did nothing to quell Jongwoon’s temper.

“This scheme of yours won’t work. Get the whale to stop attacking my ship or I’ll slit your throat!” Jongwoon challenged, his anger getting the best of him, “Gold be damned for your corpse!”

Ryeowook pushed a few strands of hair away from his face, seemingly indifferent to the captain’s outburst. "Then do it. I’d much rather die right now than be imprisoned here for another day.”

Jongwoon’s chest was heaving. In the back of his mind, he knew that the siren was testing him…

To see if he will actually carry out on his word.

Like time, wrath was inexorable but potent like a bolt of lighting. Jongwoon was angry at Ryeowook for wreaking havoc on his ship right before they were due to make landfall at 15 Shores. But the longer he saw Ryeowook sitting there, looking up expectantly at him, like a man dying of thirst waiting for a drop of rain to fall from the heavens, the anger began to slowly dissipate. Even in his vulnerable state, Ryeowook still radiated a poignant beauty; such beauty should not be confined in a dismal place like the brig.

Inwardly, Jongwoon came to terms that he never truly was going to kill him, and as of recently, he concluded that it would be a mistake (a betrayal of the sea) on his part to sell Ryeowook on the black market. If that was the case, then why was the siren still his prisoner?

Either way, if the price for his ship going by unscathed was the siren’s freedom, then it was a price that he had no other choice but to pay. Still, for some reason, the thought of letting Ryeowook return to the sea and never getting to see him again provoked a twinge of something indescribable within Jongwoon. What was it?

Palpable tension filled the air. Jongwoon closed his eyes, exhaling deeply before reopening them.

“How do I know you won’t just force all of us to drown ourselves in the sea with your singing the minute I set you free?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. 

Ryeowook blinked at the sudden question. “You still think I’m intent on killing you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” said Jongwoon tersely, “Every day I feel less inclined to trust you.”

Ryeowook let out a long drawn sigh, as if he had expected that answer. “Which is why I haven’t sung the moment you removed my gag, Captain,” he said, “You see, the reason behind the whale is not because I want to kill every single one of you on this ship, it is because I wanted to get _your_ attention… you haven’t come to see me since the last time you were here.” The last part was barely audible, but Jongwoon still managed to hear it. 

And honestly, he was surprised to hear Ryeowook’s motive behind his actions, if not slightly guilty over his decision to not visit Ryeowook in the brig again after the first visit. At this point, Jongwoon did not know what to think anymore; his feelings and thoughts were spiraling in a way that has never happened before. And all because of the beautiful man sitting there in front of him.

“You mean to tell me that you went through all this trouble of endangering my ship with that monster whale because you wanted my _attention?_ ” Jongwoon asked in disbelief.

“I just want to be freed,” said Ryeowook softly, with a touchingly subdued expression on his face. He had a particular human nature about him that was just too difficult to not feel compelled by. 

After some consideration, the captain finally sighed in resignation. “Fine—you win,” he said before pulling an iron key out of his coat pocket, “I’d rather free you than have you set that beast on me again. I’ve shed blood and sweat for this ship and I’m not about to let her get destroyed by a fucking whale.” He softly took ahold of Ryeowook’s wrists and unlocked the shackles restraining them. The shackles fell to the floor, making a loud _clank_.

Ryeowook rubbed his sore wrists, looking at them with almost disbelief.

“Well?” Jongwoon said, “What are you still sitting for? Get up.”

Ryeowook tried to stand up only to stumble, and he would have fallen to the floor if Jongwoon had not quickly caught him.

Ryeowook grabbed ahold of Jongwoon’s biceps in order to steady himself and he inadvertently gazed up at the captain’s face, full of handsome features. 

Jongwoon’s breath caught in his throat at the dangerous proximity of their faces, his dark eyes immediately latching onto Ryeowook’s soft brown eyes—Gods, what beautiful eyes! Jongwoon felt as if he could get lost in them forever.

He then cleared his throat to break the unbearable tension, and he released Ryeowook, taking a step back. “Can you walk?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

An unsure look crossed Ryeowook’s face. Of course, having swum in the sea his entire life, fending off astray sailors who wandered upon his homeland every once in a blue moon, there were limited opportunities for him to _walk_. Truth to be told, Ryeowook never anticipated getting captured by sailors, _ever_ , as he knew exactly what would happen once he left the safety of the sea. However, when his tail transformed into legs on the day he was captured by Jongwoon’s crew, Ryeowook felt as if he were _reborn,_ unbelievable as that may sound _._ While Ryeowook never received the opportunity to freely walk as if he truly were a human, in his heart of hearts, he was extremely curious to experience what it was like to _be_ one. And ever since he met the impressive Captain Kim, he felt a burning desire to cultivate some sort of connection with him because he felt _drawn_ to him. Out of the two, only Ryeowook understood that it was fate that brought them together, and there was a reason why. A reason that Ryeowook was not yet ready to divulge to the captain. 

With that, Ryeowook tentatively took a small step forward, like a baby taking its first steps. 

As if sensing Ryeowook’s uncertainty, Jongwoon touched Ryeowook’s arm with hesitant fingers before grabbing ahold of it and began to lead him out of the brig, unknowingly steering Ryeowook into a world profoundly different from the one that the siren lived in all his life.

The sperm whale stopped its antics as soon as Jongwoon released the siren from the brig, just like they had agreed upon.

When they stepped out into the daylight, an unusual silence overtook the entire deck. Everyone fearfully gaped at the siren when they saw him by the captain’s side, free from his shackles. 

“That won’t be necessary anymore,” Jongwoon said to Kyuhyun who was wielding a harpoon in his hands, ready to use at the captain's order.

Ryeowook looked around curiously, his eyes raking in everything on the ship in marvel, from the sails to the ratlines, to the helm, all the while ignoring the heavy tension in the air brought about by his presence.

“Come on,” Jongwoon said, gently tugging at his arm. He led Ryeowook over to the ship’s barrier, passing by Zhoumi who said nothing as he watched them warily.

When they reached the barrier, Jongwoon released Ryeowook’s arm. After a brief silence, he spoke, doing his best to keep his mixed feelings in check. “As promised, you’re free to go.” 

Ryeowook looked at him as if he lost his mind. “But…I want to stay.”

It took a minute for Jongwoon to verify whether he heard correctly. Once he affirmed that indeed he had heard correctly, his features contorted into a stunned expression. “ _Stay?_ You said you wanted to be freed! What do you want to stay for?” he said, struggling to find the right words to say, his mind still reeling from what Ryeowook just said.

Ryeowook looked at him with those soft brown eyes; eyes that held the deepness of the ocean. “I wanted to be freed from the chains, but I should like to accompany you to wherever it is you are going, Captain. Will you let me?” 

For a moment, vivid images flashed through Jongwoon’s mind of Ryeowook on the ship as if he were a part of the crew. In these images, Jongwoon saw himself teaching Ryeowook how to use a spyglass, showing him the constellations, and taking him to visit all sorts of different lands while the warm glow of the sunset engulfed them endlessly. These images seemed surreal and they provoked unfamiliar sensations in Jongwoon’s heart—sensations that Jongwoon did not know what they meant. He was _afraid_ of them.

The captain swallowed the lump in his throat. “You can’t,” he said finally, with a heavy heart, “Just because you spouted two legs, doesn’t mean you can have a place on this ship. Having you here is causing more problems than it should.” _Problems for him._

Ryeowook appeared visibly hurt by Jongwoon’s response. “Is this because of the whale? I already explained to you why I did it!”

Jongwoon bit his lip. “We had a _deal,_ Ryeowook. Your freedom in exchange for my ship getting kept in one piece! Are you asking me to go back on my word?”

Ryeowook stood there, his eyes glazing over with unshed tears. “Well _no_ , but I just—I don't want to go back home! I want to stay here with _you_ , I swear that I bear no ill intentions towards any of you, I only want to experience what it is like to be a human!" 

These candid words caused Jongwoon to look at him in quiet surprise. He was at a loss for words.

A precious tear trailed down from Ryeowook's eye, and he quietly sniffled. "Maybe I’m the foolish one…for thinking that _you_ were different from the others. To think that my dreams—” he stopped himself abruptly.

Jongwoon stared at him expectantly, waiting to hear what he was about to say. “What dreams?”

Ryeowook shook his head again. “Never mind.”

“Ryeowook, what dreams?” Jongwoon demanded. He grabbed ahold of Ryeowook’s arms, with the intent of pulling him closer to him.

Ryeowook vehemently shook his head, and at once he struggled to release himself from Jongwoon’s hold. He successfully managed to push Jongwoon away, and he hurried to make his escape from the ship.

_“Ryeowook!”_

All Jongwoon could do was watch as Ryeowook swiftly hooked one of his legs over the ship’s barrier before diving off into the water, never looking back once.

The captain’s eyes then gazed out into the ocean where he caught sight of a familiar multi-colored tail before it disappeared into the deep blue sea like a distant memory. 

Even the sea turned eerily silent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me while looking over this: How can I make this more dramatic than it needs to be? 
> 
> Fellas, is Yesung a fool or is he just confused? 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


	6. Eye of the Sun

Two days have passed since the whale fiasco.

Two days have passed since Ryeowook returned to the sea.

The Dark Shadow unobtrusively relapsed back into her usual seafaring business, plowing through the waters to reach her destination, while the crew went on with their usual tasks, doing their best to ignore the specter of Ryeowook’s presence that still lingered in the air, almost hauntingly. 

Captain Kim was the one who felt it the most, the memory of the beautiful siren swimming in his veins like flowing wine. He barely slept a wink these past few nights because every time he closed his eyes, he would always see the familiar flash of golden hair, the softness of plush, rosy lips, and the pair of eyes that held the grandeur of the sea.

Regardless of how insolent Ryeowook had been towards him, Jongwoon could not help but think that he deserved everything that Ryeowook had done to him. Still, he repeatedly kept telling himself that having Ryeowook return to the sea was for the best, that it was the _right_ choice. 

After all, Jongwoon was a captain on a mission. He had no time to spare on frivolous distractions, including the one with brilliant golden hair. With every day passing, Jongwoon was getting closer to reaching his objective, it was practically within a hand’s reach.

_Just a little longer._

By the time the ship finally docked at the largest and centermost isle of 15 Shores, an archipelago comprised of 15 isles, the sun was just beginning to set in the horizon.

The centermost isle, also known as the Eye of the Sun, was where the temple of the Oracle had been constructed near the summit of a mountain. Virtually anyone could seek an audience with the Oracle as long as they could pay for the exorbitant price for the visit; however; it was not guaranteed that the Oracle would offer a prophecy in return. Thus, many people, even those who were laden with wealth, were reluctant to make the treacherous and time-consuming journey to the Eye of the Sun for what effectively was a gamble. This was something that Jongwoon had to bear in mind before making the decision to sail to 15 Shores but ultimately, he had to take the chance if he ever wanted to get an inkling as to how to find the Blood Star.

This perhaps might be his greatest challenge yet. 

The entire crew began the process of disembarking, and once their feet were planted back on solid earth, they felt somewhat disoriented, which was inevitable when one is accustomed to having sea legs for such a long period of time. Henry was the only person who stayed back to watch over the ship after having offered to do so. The poor lad harbored feelings of guilt over the whale debacle since he was the one who convinced Jongwoon to bring the siren on board as a prisoner in the first place, even though Jongwoon had told him countless times that he was not holding it against him, because in the end, it was Jongwoon’s call to have the siren brought onboard. Henry, being the stubborn, but endearing lad that he is, insisted on staying on the ship with Jinjoo, and so there he currently was while his shipmates accompanied the captain to scour the island. 

“Captain,” Zhoumi addressed the other man, whose eyes were roaming over their surroundings, taking everything in with an air of attentiveness. The island was impressive; fields of lush green surrounded them, littered with assortments of colorful wildflowers, gently wavering in the light clean breeze that swept over the island. There was a tranquil and serene aspect to this island that seemed almost dreamlike.

In the distance, a small village could be seen, situated near the base of the mountain. If one were to look up at the mountain’s summit from Jongwoon’s standpoint, they would be able to make out a flash of white marble from the temple’s structure. 

For the captain, the fact that they were _here_ on this island felt exceedingly unreal.

“Mm?”

“Do we know what in Seven Seas we’re doing?”

Jongwoon refocused his attention to his lieutenant, who like him, was observing the expanse of the island with acute interest. 

“When do we ever, Lieutenant?” was his reply. With that, he began moving purposefully in the direction of the village. No sooner than later were Zhoumi and the others faithfully following behind him in tow.

The group made their way past the stone arched entryway which was flanked by marble statues of the sun god, Apollo himself, for whom the island was named for. The sun was still setting, yet the villagers bustled about on the cobblestone streets, seemingly indifferent to the new arrivals, though some observed them with mild interest, no doubt due to their grimy appearances.

Jongwoon grimaced. It’s been a while since he last had a good bath. It’s been a while since _all_ of them had a good bath.

They kept walking, though the crew wasn’t exactly sure where the captain was leading them. Truthfully, the captain himself didn’t know either. He could only hope that he would gain some sense of where they needed to go before night quickly fell upon them.

“Look yonder!” Hyukjae then exclaimed, pointing at one of the local establishments excitedly, “There’s actually a pub here, who would’ve thought! Captain, what say we hit—”

He was cut off when Zhoumi smacked the back of his head.

“Your focus should be on figuring out how we can get to the Oracle!” Zhoumi scolded, “Not to get three sheets to the wind, you nitwit!”

Hyukjae scowled. “Well, then why don’t we just ask the locals how to get to the Oracle _,_ Lieutenant? We’ll get nowhere by bustling around here looking like straggled idiots!” 

Clearly, the captain wasn’t the only one who felt that they should actually do _something_ instead of wandering around aimlessly.

Jongwoon spoke, paying no mind to Hyukjae’s outburst. “The Oracle is up on that mountain,” he motioned his head in the direction of the summit, “Which means we’ll obviously have to trek all the way up there. Seems easy enough…though I expect there’s a caveat.”

“What we don’t know is whether we’ll be able to visit the Oracle after the sun sets, Captain,” said Zhoumi importantly.

Jongwoon clicked his tongue. “What good will it do for us to climb up that mountain in the dark? Without any guide, we’ll just end up getting lost.” 

“Are you saying we need to wait until tomorrow, then?” asked Zhoumi.

Jongwoon frowned. He didn’t like the idea of having to stay overnight on this island.

“Perhaps I may be of help?”

The whole group became startled upon hearing that light voice, and they immediately tensed up in alert, turning their heads in the direction of where the voice came from. No one had seen the figure that had been discreetly following them at a near distance.

The person to whom the voice belonged to was a man with average height, quite youthful-looking with his light brown hair, smooth skin, and dimples protruding on either side of a thin-set pair of lips which were curved upwards in an amused, but intrigued smile. His eyes were shining, but they bore no malice in them, as they observed how the group of sailors was eying him with obvious suspicion.

The captain watched him warily. “Who the hell are you?”

The other man continued to smile, despite the captain’s slight aggression in his tone. “Park Jungsoo is my name, Captain,” he said respectfully, “I’m a fisherman who happened to see your ship arrive at our shores, and I couldn’t help but wonder who these mysterious newcomers were, so I came to have a look, and well, here I am…”

Jongwoon and Zhoumi eyed each other uneasily. The captain did not even notice that his own hand, by instinct, hovered near the dagger in his belt, ready to pull it out at any moment’s notice.

The fisherman, Jungsoo, briefly glanced at the captain’s taut hand, not impervious to the captain’s distrust of him. “Ahh…I would be careful, Captain. Violence is never tolerated on the land of the sun god.”

Jongwoon’s hand slowly eased away from his dagger after hearing these words. “But intoxication is?” He motioned to the pub where at this point, quite a few patrons were eagerly entering, no doubt ready to pay off a day’s worth of hard work with alcohol.

Jungsoo smiled sheepishly. “A little bit of chaos is necessary for the human experience, Captain. We can’t truly live in perfect harmony.”

Jongwoon snorted in disbelief at these words that sounded completely ridiculous to him. “So you say…” his tension slowly dissipated upon assessing that the fisherman did not pose a true threat to them. “Did I hear you say you can help us?”

“Aye,” Jungsoo affirmed, “By my bearings, I reckon you lot are here to seek an audience with the Oracle, am I right?”

“That’s the only reason why we made the trek all the way here,” Jongwoon replied shortly.

“Well unfortunately for you, the Oracle sees no one after sunset,” said Jungsoo. 

Jongwoon’s crew fell silent, waiting to see how the captain would respond to this minor setback that he had already addressed not too long ago.

Jongwoon held the fisherman’s stare, unwavering. “I suspected as much, wasn’t planning on going up that mountain during nightfall anyway. In that case, I should like to see the Oracle at the earliest convenience possible, so if you say you can help us, tell me how I can do so.”

“That can be arranged,” said Jungsoo easily, “But it’ll cost you.”

“How much?” Jongwoon demanded.

Jungsoo paused, seeming to believe that Jongwoon had directed the question to him personally. He then waved his hands in front of him in denial. “Gods, no! I wasn’t talking about _me,_ Captain! What I meant is that anyone who wants to see the Oracle has to pay a tribute, and if I’m honestly speaking, you lot don’t look like you can even procure half of what needs to be paid.”

At these words, a heavy silence hung over the entire group. Before long, the group burst out into laughter, swiftly breaking the tension that had accumulated in the air at Jungsoo’s presence. Even the captain himself was smirking in amusement. Anyone who had even the faintest knowledge of who Captain Kim Jongwoon was, knew that the talented captain had more than two coins to rub together. 

The fisherman—bless him—appeared flustered by the reaction, and a hint of pink graced his cheeks.

Jongwoon spoke. “How about you just tell us where to go, and you let the rest of us worry about whether we can cough up the gold, eh?”

Jungsoo blinked, still flustered. “W-Well like I said, the Oracle sees no one after sunset, so you’ll have to wait until the sunrise, I’m afraid.”

Jongwoon nodded. “So be it then,” he turned to the rest of the group, “You hear that, lads? Looks like we’re putting up a full night here ‘til tomorrow. I don’t like it, but it can’t be helped.”

“Does this mean we can visit the pub?” Hyukjae asked him hopefully.

Zhoumi clicked his tongue in annoyance, but Jongwoon, on the other hand, smiled good-naturedly, which startled the lieutenant. It has been a long time since he’d last seen the captain smile like that. 

“Why the fuck not? It’s been a rough journey for all of you, you deserve it,” he said. 

Small cheers erupted amongst the crew. With that, they eagerly scattered off to the pub in droves, settling in for a rowdy night.

“I think I’ll go along with them, Captain,” said Zhoumi, sensing that the captain wanted to speak privately with the fisherman, “Unless you need me to stay by your side?” 

“I think it’d be best that you go with them, Zhoumi,” replied Jongwoon, “Someone in their right mind needs to make sure that lot doesn’t almost get killed by the bar owner for being unruly, _again_.” 

This brought a short laugh from the shrewd lieutenant. “I’ll do my best, Captain. We’ll meet back at the ship, then?”

“Aye,” Jongwoon nodded.

Zhoumi then walked away, leaving the captain and the fisherman alone in silence. 

Jongwoon then turned on Jungsoo, his demeanor abruptly changing. “What I want to know is why you’re keen on helping us? What’s in it for you?”

Jungsoo looked as if he did not expect to be asked such a question, but at the same time, he understood where the captain’s suspicion was coming from. “Ah—well, truthfully… let’s just say that I had a funny feeling about you, Captain—uhhhh…”

“Kim.”

Jungsoo’s eyes widened almost comically. “K-Kim? Kim as in _the_ Captain Kim Jongwoon?” he spluttered.

The captain snorted at the fisherman’s stunned reaction. “I take it that my reputation precedes me, then, huh?”

Jungsoo smiled weakly. “Just a little bit, Captain. I’ve heard stories about you being the Conqueror of Storms, and then some…” Jongwoon did not miss the flicker of fear in his eyes.

“Oh? Are you having second thoughts about helping me now?” he said, almost mockingly. He knew what Jungsoo had been alluding to, “Listen, lad, I only rough up those who wrongfully cross me, so if I were you, I’d think twice about my true intentions, otherwise it’d be your own undoing.”

Jungsoo shook his head as if denying that he had anything other than honorable intentions towards him. “Apologies, Captain, I meant no misunderstanding. I-I’m just a little surprised that here I am meeting you of all people!”

“For your sake, that’d better be true,” said Jongwoon curtly, “I’m not looking to shed blood on the land of the sun god.”

A tentative look crossed Jungsoo’s face as if he was unsure about whether to ask the question that hung at the tip of his tongue. “M-May I ask why you’re interested in seeing the Oracle, Captain?” 

Jongwoon stared at him as if appraising the fisherman to see whether he can trust him. After a brief pause, he answered.

“I’m here to look for something…” Judging by how he trailed off, Jungsoo knew that the captain was not going to elaborate any further to him, so he simply nodded in response, deciding to not take his elusive reply personally.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope you’ll find it,” said Jungsoo sincerely, “But anyway, I reckon I should take this chance to explain to you how to go about getting to that temple…”

The fisherman then proceeded to carefully explain to the captain everything he knew about the Oracle, while the captain listened to him attentively as dusk settled in.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_Earlier…_

Cold. Dark.

That was how it felt swimming in the depths of the ocean.

Normally, Ryeowook would have been indifferent to such conditions, as his body was able to acclimate in all different temperatures of the sea.

But after Captain Kim Jongwoon had swiftly rejected Ryeowook’s wish to remain on the ship as a part of the crew, the coldness and darkness of the sea felt more palpable to him than ever before. A small part of Ryeowook had known that the idea of asking the captain to let him stay on his ship as if he were _equal_ to him was absurd in every way, but he decided to do it anyway because he wanted to. Fate had brought them together for a specific reason. So why was Fate splitting them apart all of a sudden? Ryeowook simply did not understand.

“Stupid captain, with his stupid ship and that stupid, handsome face of his’,” Ryeowook cursed under his breath as he swam along, with seemingly no destination in mind. Initially, Ryeowook had planned on returning back home to his isolated island. But for what? To wait around for more idiotic sailors to lure with his singing?

Ryeowook then recalled the surreal moment that transpired the other day…

_Ryeowook had been so absorbed in his rampant thoughts, that he did not even notice the mysterious entity that had been following him for some time. It wasn’t until he felt the water ripple around him that he froze in place._

_He sharply turned around to confront the mysterious presence. “Who’s there?” he immediately demanded. His eyes narrowed, trying to peer through the darkness for the source of the movement, his fists clenched._

_“Please don’t be frightened,” came a mellow voice through the darkness, but not from any specific direction. It seemed to have come from all around him._

_“I’m not frightened,” said Ryeowook crossly, doing his best to look intimidating. In the realm of the sea god, sirens weren’t regarded as kindly as other sea creatures, especially by sea nymphs, who were their rivals._

_Soon enough, the translucent outline of a figure appeared in the darkness, like an apparition. Ryeowook’s eyes made out a beautiful woman, with short, dark hair and sharp facial features, dressed in flowing white robes. She looked like a human; one that was able to float in the dark depths of the sea._

_A sea nymph._

_And to Ryeowook’s quiet amazement, he instantly knew who she was._

_“You’re Captain Kim Jongwoon’s mother,” he said without thinking._

_The sea nymph nodded, a heartfelt expression on her face upon hearing Ryeowook evoke her son’s name. She did not appear to be hostile towards him, but that didn’t make Ryeowook any less suspicious of her._

_“What do you want?” said Ryeowook harshly. For him, looking at the sea nymph was like looking at Captain Kim; she was a cruel reminder of what Ryeowook had endured on the Dark Shadow from the moment he was plopped onto that ship’s deck._

_“Why didn’t you tell Jongwoon the truth?” the sea nymph gently asked, unperturbed by Ryeowook’s hostility._

_Ryeowook blinked in surprise, his heart racing, for he knew what the sea nymph was referring to._

_“H-How did you know?”_

_“I have my ways, my dear,” she smiled knowingly at him._

_Ryeowook huffed at her vague response. “Well then you must already know that your son is a fool!”_

_Ryeowook expected her to take offense at his remark, but on the contrary, she laughed pleasantly._

_“I know that as well. But he’s also strong-willed, Ryeowook, he’s always been like that when he was younger—and stubborn too… Now he’s all grown-up,” she said wistfully._

_Ryeowook didn’t respond, waiting for the sea nymph to continue._

_“Your fate is intertwined with Jongwoon’s, you must know this already. But what neither of you know is that Jongwoon has been actively looking for you all this time, without even realizing that he has already found what he was truly looking for…"_

_Ryeowook fell quiet, turning his face away so that Jongwoon’s mother could not discern his expression. What was she talking about? Captain Kim…had been looking for him..?_

_“And he’s exactly what_ you’re _looking for, Ryeowook,” the sea nymph added, looking at him kindly._

_An irritable twitch rose within Ryeowook. “Doesn’t matter,” he said dismissively, “He’s gone somewhere far off, and so have I. It seems that the Fates truly intended for me to be stuck with this curse forever, I am coming to terms with that.”_

_The sea nymph shook her head. “You don’t really think that Ryeowook, I know you don’t. I cannot tell you when or how, but I promise you that you will meet Jongwoon again someday. And when you do, you have to tell him the truth, all of it.”_

_At these words, the seashell pendant of Ryeowook’s necklace glowed uncannily, casting an unexpected light in eternal darkness._

_Ryeowook’s hand immediately went to the pendant, startled by how it glowed._

_For a moment, he said nothing, having dubious thoughts, though he felt inclined to believe the sea nymph. “Why are you helping me all of a sudden_? _Why aren’t you reaching out to your own son?”_

_The sea nymph smiled sadly. “Because it’s not me who Jongwoon needs, my dear.”_

Ryeowook was drawn from his far away thoughts when a chill crawled up his spine.

He sensed trouble.

But the trouble was somewhere not too far off, not aimed at him in particular. 

As a siren, Ryeowook was sensitive to his proximate surroundings. Hence it should not be surprising that Ryeowook was able to feel the anguish of a colony of sea creatures. What was happening to them?

Without a second to hesitate, Ryeowook shot off like a projectile in the direction of the creatures, swimming as fast as he possibly could, concern gripping his heart.

Within a matter of time, the darkness of the sea began to wane, and Ryeowook knew that he was getting close to the source of his uneasy heart when he saw a dark blob meters below the sea’s sunlit surface. Upon a closer look, Ryeowook saw the hull of a ship, and his heart panged because, for a split second, he was illusioned that the ship was the Dark Shadow. But then he saw the large net, including the creatures—sea turtles—that were entrapped inside that net, wallowing around in a futile attempt to escape

Ryeowook gritted his teeth in anger. Immediately, he rushed forward, with the intent of freeing the turtles. The sea turtles somewhat relaxed when they sensed the siren’s presence, and they stilled as they watch Ryeowook yank on the fibrous net with all his strength, until he finally managed to tear it open.

 _“Go!”_ Ryeowook communicated to the sea turtles. All at once, the turtles rushed out of the net, gratefully swimming away back into the depths of the sea and away from the imminent mortal danger. Ryeowook watched them swim away, content that he was able to successfully rescue them. However, his moment of triumph was short-lived when all of a sudden, Ryeowook found himself ensnared in an entirely different net, which almost instantly began reeling him upwards in the direction of the surface. Ryeowook immediately began thrashing around, but the cords of this net were much thicker and stronger than the ones of the other net that was used to capture the sea turtles.

Soon enough, the net broke the surface and was lifted over the edge of the ship before it was dropped to the center of the deck with a hard thump, causing Ryeowook to wince.

He continued to flail around, trying to free himself from the net, panic overtaking him.

Amidst his panic, his ears took in the sounds of multiple footsteps rapidly approaching.

“Seven Seas, look you lot, it’s a fucking siren! He’s the one who’s been messing with our haul!” a gruff voice exclaimed, “Someone get the Captain quick! He needs to see this right away!”

“Tell me you’re taking the piss, aren’t sirens just myths?” came another voice, before pausing, “Fuck—it _is_ a siren! We ought to quickly bind it—I’ve heard them critters like to seduce sailors with their voices!”

Ryeowook hissed when he felt hands on him, and he heard the sailors chuckle in amusement.

“He’s a feisty one, all right,” one of the sailors declared, “You lot think I can get him to kiss me?”

Another sailor snorted. “I’d like to see you try, Sunho! I’ll laugh when I see him eat your face off!”

“I said bind him, you idiots! We can’t let him try anything on us, who knows what magical siren powers he’s got!”

“All right, all right, don’t soil your trousers, mate! It’s not like the siren’s a match for all of us, anyway!” The sailor, Sunho, bent down again to work on the netting, which was difficult to do when Ryeowook was still flailing around. 

“Then you’re a bigger fool than I took you for, Sunho!”

Sunho bit back the crude retort that almost escaped his mouth, “At least fucking help me bind him, Inseok, will ya? Don’t just stand there, the damn siren won’t stop thrashing about!”

Ryeowook then felt another pair of rough hands on him, immobilizing him while the other sailor worked on removing the netting. Eventually, Ryeowook was freed from the net, and at once, he opened his mouth to sing. But before he let out even a single note, a grimy hand clamped over his mouth, stifling his one chance to escape this ship.

“Good thinking, Inseok! You want me to drug him?”

“Do it,” the owner of the hand on Ryeowook’s mouth said gruffly, “And hurry it up! This one’s got strength in him!”

Shortly thereafter, another hand roughly brought a handkerchief to Ryeowook’s nose, forcing him to inhale a strange herbal scent. Ryeowook continued to struggle, but gradually, his movements ebbed the longer the handkerchief stayed pressed to his face.

A pair of new footsteps then joined the scene.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a deep voice sneered. Ryeowook’s heavy-lidded eyes fell upon a rather aged face that bore a scar along the length of one of his cheeks. A pair of beady eyes flashed greedily upon meeting his. “Lads… I say we’ve got ourselves a _real_ treasure.” 

And just like that, Ryeowook slipped away into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue is honestly so difficult to write, like I get frustrated when the conversations sound stilted, that I just want to delete the whole thing :o 
> 
> I'll probably go back and make some revisions so that everything flows better. 
> 
> As always, thanks for your patience and thanks for reading.


	7. The Oracle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for taking forever to upload ;; I've been putting thought into the direction of this story for some time, and I've been changing a few things here and there. But also, I've just been lazy.

The first streaks of dawn were beginning to break out across the horizon as Jongwoon and Zhoumi strode silently but purposefully through the village that was currently deserted, with no one else awake at this ungodly hour.

They reached a small wooded area that trailed away from the village. According to Jungsoo, passing through this wooded area would lead them directly to the mountain. Knowing it would take quite a bit of time to scale the mountain, Jongwoon decided it would be prudent to start their expedition early in the day. After all, time was of the essence, or so Jongwoon believed.

They entered the dusky woods, their path illuminated by the oil lantern that Zhoumi held in one hand. The only sounds to be heard were coming from their footsteps treading on the earthen ground, and the coins rattling noisily inside a crossbody bag that Jongwoon wore—the tribute to be given to the sanctuary.

In a matter of time, they reached a clearing where the ground began to slope upwards, indicating that this was where the mountain met normal ground. They came to a stop, taking the chance to look up at the tall mass of mountain that stood imposingly before them, almost in a foreboding manner. The rising sun cast a pink-orange hue across the sky, and the summit itself appeared as if it were touching the heavens.

“Captain, I don’t see a trail anywhere…How do you suppose we’ll get up?” Zhoumi finally said, his eyes scanning for any obvious path that will lead them up the mountain.

“There’s a trail… we just need to be patient,” said Jongwoon furtively, his eyes searching out for something in particular.

Zhoumi meant to respond, but Jongwoon held up a hand to silence him while his eyes were fixated upon something. Zhoumi followed his gaze, and suddenly let out a startled noise.

A large python snake had emerged from a thick cluster of undergrowth. The captain and Zhoumi reflexively took a cautious step back when the python suddenly turned in their direction, as if to make a beeline for them. But then it paused, its shining black eyes glinting, clearly appraising the two men standing before it. Jongwoon and Zhoumi held their breaths as they waited to see what the python would do next; they did not bat so much as an eyelash.

The threat of a confrontation abated when the snake slithered away, disappearing uphill. 

“What the…look Captain!” Zhoumi gasped, pointing in the direction where the python went, “A trail!”

Indeed, there before their eyes appeared a hiking trail that hadn’t been there before...

“Can’t believe it, is the snake the one creating that trail?” Zhoumi said in bewilderment.

“Aye, that’s right. Jungsoo explained that the snake appears for travelers who wish to get to the temple. Basically, the snake is our guide.”

Zhoumi looked at Jongwoon in shock. “You jest, Captain, you’re telling me we’re meant to _follow_ a damn snake up the mountain?”

Jongwoon’s stoic face revealed no indication that he was jesting in any way. “We’ve done stranger things in the past, Lieutenant, too many to even count,” he said coolly, before walking forward in the direction that the snake went. Shaking his head in disbelief, Zhoumi followed after him.

As the sun continued to rise above the mountain, the two men pushed forward, making progress in their hike despite the heat that was bearing down on them incessantly. 

“Gods, I could kill for an ale right now,” bemoaned Zhoumi, his face reddened and sweaty from the exertion of the hike.

Jongwoon gave a snort, though too was also sweating in his linen shirt. “If I’m honest with you, Zhoumi, to this day I still can’t believe you left behind all those nice baths your servants prepared for you back in Athens just to follow me out at sea. I took you for a complete idiot when I met you for the first time.” 

Zhoumi made a strange clicking noise with his tongue. “Only the gods knew I was making a terrible mistake when I decided to save your sorry ass that day, Captain,” he said jokingly, “But if I’m also honestly speaking, I don’t regret it at all. After all that we’ve been through, I wouldn’t want to go back anytime soon.”

These words made Jongwoon recount the pertinent details of the circumstances that led to him meeting Zhoumi for the first time. 

One day not too long after Jongwoon splintered off from the powerful Athenian navy, seeking to find the means to commence his independent seafaring life, he senselessly got himself caught by several crewmembers of the navy (who were once his colleagues), for trying to steal an important navigation scroll from one of the higher-ranking officers. For his offence, he was sentenced to public execution in the city’s _agora_. It just so happened that Zhoumi, a young man with noble blood running through his veins, was in the vicinity at the time of Jongwoon’s scheduled execution. When he first laid eyes on Jongwoon, what had struck him the most was not only his young age (he was of relatively the same age as him), but his expression—calm and resolute, which for some reason, Zhoumi found mystifying; mystifying and _intriguing_. It was the spur of this thought that led to Zhoumi unexpectedly (and perhaps foolishly) stepping in to save Jongwoon from his impending fate. 

But instead of being grateful, Jongwoon exhibited hostility towards the young noble, believing that he had some kind of ulterior motive for saving his life. Zhoumi had assured him that that was not the case, and through patience and deft words on his part, Zhoumi was able to uncover the motives behind Jongwoon’s crime, listening (with surprise) to the story Jongwoon had to tell.

What Zhoumi had done next changed Jongwoon’s life for the better; Zhoumi made the impulsive decision to assist Jongwoon’s endeavors to sail out at sea and he declared himself to be the first member of Jongwoon’s crew (which hadn’t yet existed). To say that Jongwoon was shocked was an understatement. Why a member of the nobility would willingly leave his life of comfort and luxury to follow a rogue like him was beyond Jongwoon’s understanding. It was not until he learned that Zhoumi had grown up with hearty tales of the sea as well as a longing to venture out away from his home that he understood why Zhoumi was adamant on sailing with him.

Zhoumi’s genuine intentions were solidified when he managed to acquire the very scroll that almost cost Jongwoon his life, which henceforth marked the start of a long-lasting, seafaring relationship between captain and lieutenant. Ever since then, their friendship has stood the test of time with the adventures they embarked on, cultivating into something grounded in deep trust, akin to brotherly love.

The corners of Jongwoon’s mouth softly curved upwards at Zhoumi’s answer. “You’re the closest thing I have to family, Zhoumi,” he said sincerely, “Can’t imagine having anyone else as my right-hand man.” 

Zhoumi let out a winded laugh in return, but inwardly, he was touched by the captain’s words. “How does one say such a thing like that so casually?”

Jongwoon scoffed. “What are you saying, you know I’m never one to mince my words… or would you have rather I traded insults with you instead?”

“It would be weird if you didn’t, Captain,” said Zhoumi, “You’ve got the mouth of a sailor on you, after all.”

The captain rolled his eyes in a fond manner. “And you’ve got a mouth that won’t stop fucking running. Now shut up, we’ve still got a long ways to go, we’d save more of our energy if we’d kept our traps shut.”

“Dead on your feet already, Captain? My, I reckon you’re getting past your prime already,” Zhoumi teased before swiftly ducking to avoid the punch that Jongwoon aimed at him.

Eventually, the two men were able to see the white marble temple at a fair distance, though at this point, they were tired and sweaty from the arduous hike.

“Captain,” Zhoumi said out of the blue, drawing Jongwoon far from his thoughts.

“What is it now?” Jongwoon demanded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

“Have you ever given thought as to what you’ll do if the Oracle snubs you?”

Silence overfell Jongwoon as he continued walking. Truthfully, he did think about the troubling possibility that he would not receive an oracular statement but he tried to not dwell on it too much because he did not want to give acknowledgment to the idea that their time and efforts sailing to this island have been for naught. Should that happen, Jongwoon honestly did not know what he would do…

When Jongwoon finally spoke, his voice betrayed no sense of worry. “We’ll cross that bridge if it comes to it, Zhoumi, but let us hope we won’t ever have to. For now, let’s just stay focused on what’s important, we’ve come a long way for this.”

“Aye,” said Zhoumi softly, “We went through a lot to make this kind of headway.” 

Jongwoon hummed in agreement. Indeed, they went through _a lot_. And Jongwoon understood that Zhoumi wasn’t merely referring to the sea storms.

The subject of Ryeowook was one that has not been touched upon for quite some time, but still lingered fresh in Jongwoon’s mind, no matter his efforts to stop thinking about him. Ever since Ryeowook left his ship, Jongwoon had to invest quite a bit of effort in convincing himself that he made the right call to send him back to the sea. In retrospect, it _was_ the right call. But the dilemma is that Jongwoon continued to grapple with complex feelings about Ryeowook that were just inexplicable—turbulent like a storm that he could not temper. Make no mistake… such feelings were dangerous—perhaps even treacherous, and Jongwoon _knew_ this. Still, there was no anger in his mind, only a vague and inarticulate regret about the siren. 

As he continued walking, Jongwoon wondered about Ryeowook. Where had he gone off to? What was he up to at the moment? Was he somewhere cursing him out for denying him what he had curiously wanted? Amidst these thoughts, there was a minuscule (but growing) part of Jongwoon that longed to listen to Ryeowook’s divine singing once again, despite its deadly allure…

“Captain, are you listening to me?” Zhoumi’s voice cut into his thoughts.

“What?” Jongwoon absentmindedly said, diverting his attention to his lieutenant.

“Really, Captain, what’s gotten into you lately?” Zhoumi demanded, looking at the other man suspiciously, “Don’t tell me…Is this about the siren?”

The bold question made Jongwoon stop in his tracks to make eye contact with his lieutenant, breathing heavily.

“Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?” he said, his expression converting to one of obvious irritation, the scorching sun doing nothing to subdue it. 

Zhoumi knew that he was treading into a delicate subject at the expense of incurring the captain’s wrath, but now that they were alone apart from wandering ears, it felt like a good time to address his qualms about Jongwoon’s behavior. Although the captain was not known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, there was something off and even glum in his behavior that Zhoumi was able to discern, on account of having been friends with him so long.

“Because I’ve just about had it, Captain, with the way that you’ve been distant lately like you’ve got a lot on your mind,” said Zhoumi forwardly, “And I know it has to do with the siren because you’ve been acting that way ever since you made him go back to the sea.” 

“I always have a lot on my mind. And even if my mind was plagued with thoughts about the siren, what concern is it of yours, Zhoumi?” said Jongwoon shortly, without thinking. 

Zhoumi appeared hurt by the captain’s curtness. “Captain, really…forgive me for asking, I know it’s none of my business but I wouldn’t have asked if it didn’t worry me. And if I’m being honest, I’m sick of you having your head in the damn clouds because of the siren! He’s long gone somewhere probably luring some other poor saps to their deaths, there’s no reason why he should still be eating at you!”

Jongwoon let out a deep exhale, before lifting his hand up to swipe it over his tired and sweaty sun-kissed face, knowing he had to give credit to Zhoumi for how well he knew him. “I don’t fucking know…Gods, I must be losing my damn mind,” he said in resignation, his eyes avoiding contact with Zhoumi’s.

“Jongwoon…” Zhoumi looked at him steadily as he addressed his longtime friend in seriousness, “Answer me this: are you harboring feelings for the siren?”

The direct question made Jongwoon tense, but he said nothing, allowing his silence to affirm what Zhoumi suspected—and _feared_.

“You’re kidding,” Zhoumi breathed out, looking at a complete loss for words, “We’re talking about the same siren that almost drowned you and wreaked havoc on the ship, right? Gods—there are a lot of things that are wrong in this world, Jongwoon, and _this—_ this is one of them!”

Zhoumi was angry. And Jongwoon was no fool to understand why. Ryeowook had caused considerable trouble for them ever since he was hauled onto the Dark Shadow. There was just simply no logical reason for the captain to harbor feelings for him, knowing all too well the ordeal Ryeowook had put them through. It was just… _unfathomable_.

In spite of all of this, Jongwoon, for some odd reason, felt the need to defend Ryeowook.

“Enough, Zhoumi,” he said sternly, crossing his arms over his chest, “I won’t stand for another one of your droning lectures. I know damn well all the trouble the siren put us through, but if you’re looking to blame someone for it…blame me. _I_ was the one responsible for keeping Ryeowook locked up in that miserable hellhole. _I_ was the one responsible for having us sail to that cursed island in the first place. I reckon I should’ve just slit his throat as I had initially intended! But I didn’t… and that was a mistake on my part.”

Zhoumi looked at him with those profound eyes of his, mulling over his honest words momentarily. There seemed to be no anger in Jongwoon’s mind about the siren—rather, he was angry with _himself_. “Do you…do you have regrets over sending him back to the sea?”

_Yes._

“Of course not,” said Jongwoon flatly, “Gods know what else could’ve happened if we’d still kept him as a prisoner on the ship. The siren might have enchanted me once, but I’ve still got my common sense about me.”

“Funny you should say that, Jongwoon,” said Zhoumi with a dark expression on his face. “You should know that I’m not the only one who’s been thinking you’ve been out of the sorts lately. Last night, Siwon confessed to me that he’s been getting it into his head that the siren had you trapped under some kind of spell this whole time.”

Jongwoon’s lip curled mockingly. “Now _that’s_ got to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while, remind me to thank Siwon for the good laugh, aye?”

“This is no laughing matter, Jongwoon!” Zhoumi said briskly, “I’m being serious.” 

“For fuck’s sake Zhoumi,” Jongwoon snapped, “Don’t tell me that you actually agree with him, have a word with yourself! Has it ever crossed that rampant mind of yours that we would have never made it all this way if I was spellbound by some kind of siren sorcery?”

Zhoumi shook his head. “I _don’t_ agree with him, Jongwoon, but what I’m saying is that the crew is shrewder than you think! They _know_ you’ve been acting weird ever since we brought the siren onto the ship, they just haven’t said anything about it out of respect to you. Now I’m confident that they won’t turn their backs on you, but if they were to get wind about your feelings over the siren… it won’t sit with them well.”

“Don’t need you to state the obvious, Zhoumi,” Jongwoon huffed, his tone growing more irritated, “I _know_ what’s at stake, I haven’t lost sight of the objective. You’re the one who wants to continue beating the dead horse, and I appreciate your concern, but like you said, the siren is _long gone_ … _I_ am ready to meet the moment of truth,” he pointed in the direction of the temple that was almost within a stone’s throw, “Now, if you’re about finished with your little sermon, I should like to keep moving before the day grows old.” 

Zhoumi said nothing for a moment, not wanting to let the matter drop so easily. But the captain was right. There were more important things to focus on. With any luck, visiting the Oracle would take Jongwoon’s mind off of the siren for good. “You’re right, Jongwoon. Let’s just—let’s just worry about finding the Blood Star. It’s what we’re here for, after all.”

Jongwoon said nothing more as they resumed walking, a dim and cloudy perception of his thoughts and feelings about a certain golden-haired person following behind him like a dark shadow. 

Much of what Jongwoon knew about the Oracle was explained to him by Jungsoo. According to the fisherman, the temple was erected after a goat herder one day experienced a divine presence inside a mysterious pit while herding his goats up the mountain. Soon after, he shared his experience with his fellow villagers which led to many of them visiting the site in hopes of experiencing this divine presence as well. But after seeing how men exclusively were being driven into a state of madness, the villagers chose a single maiden to function as a link to this divine presence. Thereupon, the chosen young woman received the blessing of the god of prophecies (also the sun god) and henceforth became the immortal Oracle.

The temple itself was a shabby structure that clearly has stood the test of time. Its marble columns, once gleaming and radiant, were now run down with vines of ivy and scorch marks from the time when a group of bandits tried to pillage the sacred temple before they were duly struck down by the fury of Apollo. While there was no official military force to prevent looting from occurring, incidents like the one aforementioned gave cause for the villagers to believe that the Eye of the Sun was always kept under the watchful eye of Apollo himself. 

By the time both men reached the sanctuary, the python was already waiting for them at the base of a gold statue of Apollo, which stood imposingly in front of the temple’s small flight of marble steps.

“So… what now?” Zhoumi asked, his eyes flitting over to the temple’s entrance.

“Look.”

Zhoumi turned to where Jongwoon motioned his head in the direction of the snake. As soon as Zhoumi laid eyes on the snake, his eyes widened in shock when he saw its scaly skin shimmering in the broad daylight. He continued watching when the snake’s body began to contort into an indescribable shape. A minute later, what sat at the base of Apollo’s statute was a large ceramic vase, done in black-figure style—a _krater_.

“Seven seas, that’s remarkable,” said Zhoumi in awe, taking a step closer to inspect the detailed paintings on the krater, which depicted a figure slaying a giant serpent, “Ahh… now it makes sense!” he nodded in understanding. “The snake that guided us here is meant to be symbolic of Python, the mythical serpent that Apollo famously struck down…Just _how_ did I miss that?”

The sound of rattling coins was heard, and Zhoumi looked in time to see Jongwoon opening the sack he carried with him, stepping close to the vase. Wordlessly, Jongwoon poured its contents into the vase until the last coin fell in.

There was a pause.

Then, the krater visibly vibrated before stilling.

“That’s it, then?” Zhoumi asked, skeptically eyeing the vase as if it were to sprout arms and legs, “Gods, Jungsoo really didn’t jest about the amount of gold you need to give, it practically cost us an arm and a leg!” 

“Aye,” Jongwoon agreed, “But that’s the least of my worries right now.” His eyes shifted to the entrance of the temple that stared back at him ominously.

Zhoumi followed the captain’s gaze. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out, Captain, don’t fret too much about it, yeah? I don’t know you to back down so easily,” he said assuredly, acting as if they hadn’t quarreled with each other not too long ago, “Should I wait out here for you, then?” 

Jongwoon nodded. “Hopefully, this won’t take too long.” With that, he began walking forward in the direction of the short flight of wide steps leading to the temple’s entrance. He climbed them, a determined expression in his eyes, trying to resist the uncanny energy radiating from the interior. 

Once he was inside, Jongwoon’s nose registered the burning aroma of incense sticks, the scent capable of making one instantly feel woozy upon setting foot inside. He continued to stand at the entranceway, taking a moment to look around. The inside of the temple was an open square, dimly lit by wax candles that lined the path leading to the center of the room.

Through the haziness, Jongwoon’s steely eyes fell upon a mysterious figure that sat on a tripod, fixed on top of a platform in the center of the room, flanked by two column pedestals. Unmistakably, the figure was the infamous Oracle; a priestess whose entire face was covered with a translucent purple veil, with her entire body covered with robes of a similar color. Her head was bent down and her hands were clasped in her lap as if she were in a deep slumber. 

With his eyes trained on the Oracle, Jongwoon began to approach her, his steps slow and languid, but also circumspect, as if one wrong step would undermine his mission.

A prolonged silence filled the room when Jongwoon stopped less than a meter away from the Oracle, the proximity allowing Jongwoon to physically feel the mysterious aura radiating from the priestess; it was a strong aura that was laden with premonition. At that moment, the possibility that he would not receive even a word from the Oracle’s mouth became more real than ever… With difficulty, Jongwoon suppressed the desperate shout that rose to his lips, recalling how Jungsoo had explained that it was important to wait to be spoken to first. If the Oracle should deliver an oracular statement, she would welcome the visitor. If not…she would promptly dismiss the visitor from her sanctum without so much as another word. 

After another minute of excruciating and unbearable silence, the Oracle silently lifted her head. Despite her shrouded face, Jongwoon knew he was being watched by those clandestine eyes, and it unsettled him. No sooner than later did a raspy but feminine voice filter out from behind the veil, sending a chill crawling up Jongwoon’s spine and causing him to involuntarily shudder. 

_Welcome to my temple, Kim Jongwoon,_

_A man with the fortitude of a lion_

_And with the sea flowing in his veins._

_Speak your inquiry and I shall deliver._

Jongwoon let out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding, feeling his anguish slowly ebbing away. He eyed the cryptic figure momentarily before asking the very question that he sailed all the way to this island to obtain an answer for: “Does the Blood Star truly exist? …And if it does, I should like to know how can I find it.” 

The Oracle did not reply immediately. But once the uncanny voice spoke again, Jongwoon stood still as he listened.

_A magical star demands magical blood,_

_And guides those who are destined to see its burning light._

_You would do well to follow the Bear and sail east._

_Your answer lies in a stolen item that tells but hides plenty._

Her words rushed forth like a strong current, and after she delivered the final word, a heavy silence consumed the room once more while the priestess remained stone-still in her spot, just as she had been doing when Jongwoon first stepped into the temple.

Jongwoon’s face was drawn in an apparent expression of utter confusion, and for a while, he simply stood there while his mind reeled with the Oracle’s vague words.

The first line no doubt affirmed what he suspected about the Blood Star prior to visiting the Eye of the Sun, but _magical blood?_ From _what_ exactly?

The second line was jarring. It definitively confirmed the existence of the legendary star, but it also drew forth an unexpected caveat: the star _guides those who are_ destined _to see its burning light._ Jongwoon’s fist curled at this. Did this implicitly mean that finding the Blood Star was contingent upon _destiny?_

The third line was the only piece of solid advice given to Jongwoon. _Follow the Bear and sail east_ … it was straightforward enough.

But what he couldn't, simply _couldn't_ , fathom was the last line.

 _A stolen item?_ What on earth could it possibly be? And what _answer_ would it disclose to him?

The more he mulled over the Oracle’s words, the more questions he had that could not be answered and the more he grew frustrated. _This won’t fucking do_ , Jongwoon thought, sparing a glance at the Oracle as if expecting to receive another word from her that could provide some much-needed clarity. But it was hopeless. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he turned around and headed for the exit, concluding his audience with the mystic Oracle, while her raspy voice echoed inside his head.

Zhoumi, who was sitting on a slab of rock near the temple, immediately stood up once he saw Jongwoon emerge from the temple. He was not impervious to the way the captain appeared somewhat unnerved but also aggravated.

“Captain,” Zhoumi approached Jongwoon carefully, concern etched on his face.

Jongwoon met his lieutenant’s worried eyes, his mouth drawn in a taut line.

“We have loads to talk about.”

After informing Zhoumi of what happened inside the temple, reciting the Oracle’s words, he noticed how Zhoumi’s mind seemed to be racing with all sorts of unspoken thoughts. “What do you think?” he finally asked.

Zhoumi simply shook his head, meeting the Captain’s eyes seriously, “What I think… is that finding the Blood Star is going to be a greater challenge than we initially thought it would be”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Upon returning back to the ship, Jongwoon and Zhoumi found Sungmin, and to their surprise, Jungsoo, standing at the docks, arguing with an older man who bore some resemblance to the fisherman.

“Your damn ship is scaring off all the rainbow trout!” Jongwoon heard the other man complain to Sungmin, gesticulating angrily with his hands, “How am I supposed to make my coin if you lot are loitering around here—”

“Uncle, _please_ ,” Jungsoo pleaded, doing his best to pacify the man, “They won’t be here for long, their captain should be back at any given moment,” he then spotted Jongwoon and Zhoumi approaching, “Look, here they actually come now!” 

“What’s happening here?” Jongwoon interjected, paying no mind to the other man who was brusquely eyeing him as if he was a foul piece of seaweed.

“You know these sons of bitches, Jungsoo?” the man demanded.

“They’re just visitors, Uncle,” said Jungsoo exasperatedly, “No need to insult them!” 

“I don’t give a rat’s ass, their ship is occupying my prime fishing spot! How do you expect me to catch my haul when their damn ship is in the way?”

Without another word, Jongwoon took out some spare coins he had in his pants pocket and shoved them into the other man’s hand. “That should more than cover the cost of your fucking haul. Now leave us be unless you want the pleasure of having the bottom-feeders feast on your corpse.”

The other man angrily eyed him, but a sliver of fear flickered in his eyes at Jongwoon’s crude threat, for he suspected that this man was very well capable of carrying out on his word. He grudgingly took the money. “You be careful around this lot, Jungsoo, you hear? They look like the untrustworthy type that brings nothing but trouble everywhere they go!” He then stalked off, grumbling under his breath about no-good, seafaring sons of bitches.

Jungsoo diverted his full attention to Jongwoon, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry about that. Uncle doesn’t take too kindly to sailors. Not since my father went off to become one and never came back…” his expression turned grave, but almost instantly, he changed the subject. “So then, how did it go?”

Sungmin looked at Jongwoon with wide eyes, also anticipating to hear how his visit to the Oracle went.

“I got what I came for all along. And I owe it to you, Jungsoo, how can I repay you for your help?”

Jungsoo’s cheeks flushed, and he waved his hands in front of him in denial. “That won’t necessary, Captain. You’ve already had to pay off my stubborn uncle for his troubles, let’s just call it even, all right?”

Jongwoon shook his head. “I don’t like keeping debts. I should like to repay you for all the help you gave me,” he insisted.

Jungsoo shifted on one foot, an uneasy look crossing his face. “Well…there is one thing I would like, but I am not confident that you will grant it to me.”

Jongwoon eyed him, frowning. “Let me hear it.”

Jungsoo looked at him nervously. “I…I’d like to join your crew, Captain.”

There was a stifling pause.

“You wish to join my crew?” Jongwoon repeated blankly, though he was taken aback by Jungsoo’s request, “You’ve heard the stories about me, lad, about the unpleasant things I’ve done, about the kind of person I am. You are but a simple fisherman, so why would you want to leave your life behind on this island to sail with me?”

Jungsoo let out a nervous little laugh. “I reckon I must be a fool for asking to join your crew in the first place… Sure you’ve might’ve done some unforgivable things, but even the gods themselves are not truly innocent, Captain. I believe that freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations a man can have and I think you believe that as well… That is why I wish to sail with you.”

Jongwoon studied him momentarily in silent amazement. What surprised him was Jungsoo’s sincerity and his single-mindedness. It reminded him of himself when he made the decision to dedicate his life sailing the sea.

“What about what you just told us about your uncle and your father?”

The fisherman’s bottom lip slightly trembled at the question. “My uncle… I care for him but he’s a pisshead. He wants me to live as a fisherman for the rest of my life just like him, but that’s not what _I_ want, Captain. There are bigger things in life that I have yet to see, and staying here will only hold me back from that…I think my father knew that and I think that’s why he left in the first place.”

The captain’s face betrayed no emotion at Jungsoo’s answer, whereas Zhoumi and Sungmin stared at Jungsoo in silent wonder.

“Have you ever heard of the Blood Star?” Jongwoon asked suddenly. 

Jungsoo’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by the captain’s unexpected question. “Aye…” he nodded, unsure, “I’ve heard of it. It’s a star that leads sailors to the end of the world, or so the stories say.”

“Do you believe it exists?”

Jungsoo looked at him questioningly, but Jongwoon appeared unwavering in his interrogation. “Captain… is that why you came here to see the Oracle?”

The corners of Jongwoon’s mouth twitched upwards, impressed by Jungsoo’s shrewdness. “What if I told you that I am on a quest to find it? That once I rig my ship’s sails, I won’t rest until I see the Blood Star with my very own eyes. This is no fun and games, lad, there will undoubtedly be all kinds of danger and uncertainty lying ahead, ready to engage us in a battle of wills. Knowing that, does it make you have a change of heart about sailing with me?” 

Jungsoo was calm of face, but the captain could see a faint excitement beneath the surface.

“Not at all, Captain. The essence of freedom lies in the ability to take risks.”

Truly, what an interesting person. Strange, but interesting.

“Sungmin…” Jongwoon addressed the named sailor, “Once we set sail, you’ll be the one to show Jungsoo the ropes. Have him meet the rest of the crew and help him to acquire his sea legs fast enough.”

“Aye, Captain.” 

Jongwoon turned to Zhoumi, with an air of one ready to command. “Make the preparations to sail east. Once night falls, we follow the Bear. And when you get the chance, check with the maps to see where we’ll make port.”

“Aye, Captain.”

“The Oracle, Captain?” Sungmin asked curiously.

“There will be plenty of time to discuss it on the ship,” said Jongwoon, “For now, let’s focus on knowing which way the wind blows.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The oracle in this story is based on the Oracle of Delphi, so I drew heavily on the parallels. 
> 
> "Follow the Bear" is in reference to the Ursa Major constellation, in case you were curious about that.


	8. Port Sapphire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, thank you Naja for calling me out to update this story uwu

When Zhoumi had informed the captain that following the Bear would lead them directly to Port Sapphire, Jongwoon was surprised; he did not think the Oracle would advise him to sail to that particular place out of all places… A part of him wanted to think it was a coincidence. But for some reason, he felt a sense of foreboding that nothing pleasant awaited him at Port Sapphire…

In the few days of sailing out on the ocean, the newest recruit of the Dark Shadow worked on acclimating to the sea life, which proved somewhat difficult since he was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, whose idea of welcoming him included bombarding him with all sorts of questions and teasing remarks. Jungsoo took everything with a grain of salt, as Sungmin had advised him to do. His first impression of the crewmembers was that they were strange, _strange_ fellows. Even the more sensible ones had their quirks. Sungmin, for example, liked to always step onto the ship with his right foot first, believing that it was good fortune to do so. Be that as it may, the crew seemed to get along well with each other, though every once in a while, heads butted over the most trivial things.

Jungsoo was also not blind to the crew’s familiarity with the captain. They cracked jokes with him every now and then and with ease (a few were even bold enough to tease the captain) but they still regarded him with the utmost respect. Ultimately, these crewmembers were united by their unequivocal reverence for the captain, in addition to their shared interest in sailing. For better or for worse, these crewmembers would become his new family. 

On the same day the ship departed from the Eye of the Sun, Captain Kim had gathered his crew to divulge his experience and findings from visiting the Oracle, hoping that one of them might provide some insight in regards to what the Oracle had told him. In the end, they knew no more than he did. 

“I gotta say, Captain, I’d have put my money on the Oracle giving you the boot,” Kangin said jokingly, “Reckon it’s a good thing I didn’t, but it’s also a good thing that your gold didn’t go to waste for nothing. Otherwise, _that_ would’ve been a real travesty.” 

“Shit, Kangin, you really know the right words to say,” said Zhoumi sarcastically.

“It’s a gift of gab, Lieutenant,” said Kangin, grinning.

“So,” Donghae chimed in, “We’re still chasing after this star, then?”

“We’re only just getting started, Donghae,” Jongwoon replied, “Unless perhaps, you are considering calling it quits already?”

“Aish, Captain,” Donghae said lightly, “I say you won’t be getting rid of me that easily! Poor Jungsoo here needs someone to look after him, life out at sea is no bed of roses after all!” He wrapped an arm around Jungsoo’s shoulders, pulling him closer to him which caused Jinjoo, who had been resting on Jungsoo’s lap (the cat had instantly taken a liking to him) to hop off, hissing in annoyance. 

“Compared to when you first stepped onto this ship, I reckon Jungsoo holds his own very well, at least he’s not puking his guts out all over the deck!” commented Kangin.

This drew forth jeers from the others, with Donghae letting out a profanity at Kangin. Jongwoon simply rolled his eyes, but he was also smiling at the banter.

“Magical blood, huh?” Kyuhyun then remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “I wonder what that’s all about.”

“Ain’t it obvious?” Hyukjae interjected, “We sacrifice a magical creature, bleed it dry, and hope that the Blood Star will pop out in the sky right away! ‘Course, it’d have been more helpful if the damn Oracle had told you _which_ magical creature we need to procure the blood from, Captain. This speaking in riddles nonsense is just making us go in circles!”

“Not necessarily,” said Jongwoon, “The Oracle mentioned a ‘stolen item.’ Gods only know what it could possibly be, but whatever it is, the ‘answer’ lies within that item. With any luck, we’ll find it in quick time at Port Sapphire, and figure out where to go from there.”

The others murmured in agreement.

“I don’t know, Captain, the second line just doesn’t sit right with me,” said Siwon, meeting Jongwoon’s eyes seriously, “The Blood Star ‘guides those who are destined to see its burning light.’ _Destined._ Wouldn’t that explain why so many others have failed to find it, simply because they weren’t _meant_ to? If that’s the case, then it changes everything.”

A dark look crossed Jongwoon’s face, and the others fell quiet. Siwon had addressed a contingency that Jongwoon had pondered when he first heard those words fall from the Oracle’s mouth. Compared to the other lines, this line in particular oppressed him—like an omen. What were the chances that Siwon indeed, was right? Was Jongwoon _destined_ to see the Blood Star?

“It changes nothing,” Jongwoon said finally, with a firm look on his face as he stared out into the endless blue sea. “This is a new storm we’re up against and we’re going to weather it like we always do. If there’s one thing I’m certain, it’s that the Blood Star is _mine._ ”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A few days later, the Dark Shadow pulled into the harbor of Port Sapphire by late afternoon.

True to the port’s name, the sapphire-blue water glistened in the sunlight as Shindong slowly veered the ship down the harbor while the other crewmembers prepared for the challenging task of docking the ship once more.

Port Sapphire is a seaport famous for its namesake. Shortly after Port Sapphire was founded, its original settlers discovered abundant sapphire deposits in underground reserves. Soon enough, the harbor town became a vital mining location where its natural sapphires were extracted to be cut and polished into gemstones, which were then sold to the wealthy and elite all over the Mediterranean. The lucrative business dealings in Port Sapphire inevitably attracted many people of corrupt character which led to the development of a de facto government that had no interest in enforcing maritime laws. As a result, Port Sapphire grew to be a safe haven for many sailors of rough character, especially those like Captain Kim Jongwoon. In other words, danger and foul play were never hard to come across at Port Sapphire; the place was teeming with it.

On the docks, Jongwoon stood with a few of his crew discussing the need to gather more supplies and provisions, until an unexpected newcomer interrupted the conversation.

“That ship of yours has certainly seen better days, Captain Kim!”

Jongwoon turned to the owner of the familiar voice and once he saw who it belonged to, he grinned from ear to ear. Behind him, Hyukjae groaned audibly and grumbled under his breath, “Gods, not _him._ ”

“Aye, but she has yet to fail me, Heechul,” Jongwoon replied easily, “No other ship in the seven seas can compare to her in speed, not even that floating piece of timber of yours that you call a ship!”

The man, Heechul, roared in delighted laughter. “All right, all right, I’ll give you that one, Jongwoon! I can’t knock a man for being keen!”

Heechul was tall and slender with long, vibrant, dark red hair and a face full of handsome features. He held years over Jongwoon in terms of age, but even so, his youthful appearance has barely waned.

Jongwoon’s first encounter with Heechul took place following his near-death episode at Athens, when Jongwoon and Zhoumi were seeking the financial means to acquire their own ship and crew. It had been Jongwoon’s idea to partake in competitive sailing races along the Peloponnese peninsula, and it was there that they met Kim Heechul: an experienced sailor who recognized Jongwoon’s sailing potential and who commissioned him to compete in these races on his behalf. Jongwoon’s astonishing victories in numerous sailing races have clearly paid off Heechul’s decision to gamble on his potential. As a result, Heechul had accumulated a summable amount of prize money, a fair percentage of which he gave to Jongwoon as a remittance for his victories. Jongwoon had then utilized his earnings to fund the construction of his very own pride and joy: the Dark Shadow _._

It should not surprise Jongwoon that Heechul was in Port Sapphire which aside from being a haven for many sailors, was also a major trading hub for them as well, especially when it came to buying and selling on the black market. What he did not expect was to cross paths with him once more after they went their separate ways following the few daring ventures they’ve undergone together. Either way, Jongwoon was quite pleased to see his mentor again, after so many years.

“It’s been a while, Heechul, I didn’t expect to run into you here all of a sudden,” said Jongwoon honestly. 

Heechul approached Jongwoon, slapping his hand on his shoulder firmly with an air of familiarity. “It’s been 8 _years_ , Jong, and from what I see, you certainly turned out all right. Just what sorts of trouble have you been stirring up in that time, huh?” 

“It would take another 8 years to tell you, I reckon.” 

The other man laughed boisterously. “You’re fucking priceless, Jong, you truly are! So then… I take it that you lot only just arrived today?” he said, running his eyes over the crew before settling on Hyukjae, “Hyukjae! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were plotting against me, you sly son of a bitch!”

“I could say the same for you!” Hyukjae spat at Heechul, glaring daggers at him.

Heechul grinned wily, unfazed by Hyukjae’s hostile attitude. “Still upset over that little scratch I gave you?”

“ _Scratch?_ ” said Hyukjae indignantly, “You fucking _stabbed_ me, you crazy bastard!”

“That I did, that I did,” said Heechul unabashedly, “’Course I wouldn’t have done it if you weren’t so hellbent on assassinating your captain.”

Hyukjae spared a guilty glance at Jongwoon. “That was in the past,” he mumbled, suddenly becoming interested in his shoes.

“And you, Zhoumi,” Heechul turned to the lieutenant, “Have you finally regretted leaving the noble life to follow this half-cocked captain around?” he thumbed at Jongwoon.

Jongwoon frowned. _Half-cocked?_

“Only about a few times,” replied Zhoumi, grinning broadly, sneaking a glance at Jongwoon who in turn, glared at him. 

“Still as honest as ever, I’ve always liked that about you, lad,” remarked Heechul clapping Zhoumi’s shoulder heartily. He then spotted Jungsoo, “Oh? And who’s this? Another poor sap you dragged along to live the miserable sea life with you, Jongwoon?”

Before Jongwoon could answer, Jungsoo cut in. “I reckon the sea life is not too bad, though of course, I’m a stranger to the finer things in life.”

Heechul studied him appraisingly for a minute before letting out a bark of laughter. “Oh, I like this one, Jongwoon! He’s a sharp one, all right!”

“Well, Jungsoo’s sailing with the sharpest himself, after all,” said Jongwoon.

“Aye, aye, whatever makes that big ship of yours float, Captain,” said Heechul, winking, before changing the subject, “What brings you to Port Sapphire, then? Last I heard, you were tossing about somewhere on the Aegean Sea.”

“A matter of private business,” said Jongwoon simply. 

“Business, eh?” Heechul said with a knowing smile, “Funny you should say that, I’m on a business errand myself. But if you’re hanging around, I should like to have a few moments of conversation with you about something that perhaps might be of interest to you, Captain _._ What do you say?”

“Normally, I would be interested, Heechul, but as it is, I’m not here to make my pockets deeper.”

“No?” Heechul raised an eyebrow at this. “Then enlighten me, why _are_ you here?”

Jongwoon didn’t answer right away. He looked at Zhoumi who stared back at him, sharing a silent conversation with him. 

Jongwoon turned his attention back to Heechul after a moment, deciding to be truthful. “What I will say is that I’m here to find something that was stolen.”

Heechul made a noise of disbelief. “You _do_ know where you are, right Jongwoon?”

“Aye, I do,” said Jongwoon, “Which is why I can’t waste time on other matters, Heechul, I’m sure you understand.”

Heechul shrugged coolly. “Certainly, I do, Captain. Who am I to question your priorities? What is it that you’re looking for exactly, perhaps I might have gotten wind of it?”

“The thing is, I haven’t gotten a clue as to what this stolen item is.”

Heechul looked at him as if he sprouted another head. “Did I hear right? You mean to tell me that you hauled your ass all the way here to find something stolen and you haven’t got an idea as to what it even is?”

“That’s right,” said Jongwoon shamelessly.

Heechul snorted. “Fucking hell, Jongwoon, this is some fool’s mission you’re undertaking here, you understand that right?”

“That’s rich coming from you, I reckon,” he countered 

“Well I guess that’s what happens when you take a leaf out of my book, huh?” Heechul replied mockingly before letting out a heavy sigh. “Fuck, all right…Let me think for a moment…I reckon this object you’re trying to recover is a really valuable one, otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered coming all this way. I’d say it’s not completely out of the question that this object might be on offer during the upcoming auction.”

“An auction?” Jongwoon asked, furrowing his brows.

Heechul nodded. “Aye, there’s been an auction in the talks for some time before you arrived. Incidentally, that’s actually what I was hoping to converse with you about, Jongwoon, now we’ve graciously crossed paths with each other again. You see, it would be a pity if several of the items up for auction were to go _missing_ , wouldn’t it?” he smiled mischievously.

Jongwoon understood the double meaning behind Heechul’s words: You scratch my back, I scratch yours. He knew all too well from experience that to go along with Heechul’s plots was to throw caution to the wind; the man was simply bold as brass. He was also fearless, which Jongwoon was able to relate to in that respect. Regardless, if there was the slightest chance that he can figure out what the mysterious stolen item is, as well as to secure it, Jongwoon would be wise to consider Heechul’s proposal. 

He hummed thoughtfully. “Why don’t we talk this over more in private? I could do with a drink after a long trip, know any good taverns around here?” 

Heechul’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Naturally, Captain.”

It was nighttime and darkness had already submerged the horizon, making it black as ink. Jongwoon and Heechul purposefully headed down to a seedy-looking tavern called the _Drunk Pegasus_ that was located somewhere not too far away from the harbor.

Both men entered the tavern, greeted by the soft glow of the lanterns that dimly lit the large room, which entertained a lively atmosphere. This atmosphere was briefly interrupted when some patrons turned around and paused to stare at the newcomers in their drunken stupor, assessing them with either curiosity or suspicion before losing interest and going back to their business: drinking and women.

The two men silently, but confidently made their way to the bar, with Jongwoon discreetly sizing up some of the patrons, observing which ones were experienced sailors and which ones were simply scoundrels, all the while ignoring the looks of interest that several women threw his way. Upon taking a seat at the bar, the barman, a pudgy man with a ruddy complexion, attended to them immediately. “Back so soon, Heechul? And who’s this? A new friend of yours?” the barman motioned to Jongwoon who stared impassively back at him.

Heechul waved his hand dismissively. “Just an old acquaintance, if you will,” he said, before sliding a few coins onto the wooden counter, the metal scraping noisily across the surface, “Two rums, Sanghyuk. The finest that you’ve got.”

“Very good, then,” the barman said, collecting the money before going to prepare their drinks.

Heechul turned to Jongwoon. “I’d say it would be in your interest to keep a low profile in these parts, Jong, there’s plenty of the unsavory type around here who wouldn’t take too kindly to you if they found out who you truly are.”

Jongwoon snorted at this. “Awfully considerate of you to say, Heechul, but you needn’t worry. I’m not looking to kick off trouble in here…unless of course, the occasion calls for it.”

“Gods, Jong, now that I think about it, there is something quite different about you,” said the other man, appraising the younger man with his large eyes, as if trying to gauge what was different about him, “And it’s definitely not the long hair, though it most certainly favors you.” 

Jongwoon leaned into the bar, perching his elbow on top of the counter. “Enough with your nonsense, Heechul. Start talking to me about this whole auction business,” he said, taking care to keep his voice low so as not to be heard by meddling ears.

Heechul gave half a laugh as he sat more upright in his seat. “Well shit then, since you so kindly asked…” he said sarcastically, “But I ought to tell you, you must’ve had the wind gods themselves powering your sails, otherwise you would’ve missed the auction by a hair’s breadth.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The other man glanced around him before responding. “Tomorrow is the summer solstice, Jong. The organizers ahead of time decided to have the auction take place on that day, and from what I was able to hear, they also arranged to have it held at the villa of the wealthiest man of this port.”

Jongwoon raised an eyebrow. “And who the hell is that?”

“Lee Sooman,” was the reply.

Jongwoon shook his head. “Never heard of him.”

“Well everyone around here does,” said Heechul, “His ancestors were the ones in charge of the sapphire mining business here ages ago. This means that he and his family are loaded, but it also means that he has a lot of influence around here.”

“Sounds like a pisshead to me,” Jongwoon remarked, scoffing, “What’s in it for him with this whole auction, then?” 

“From what I know, Sooman’s the type who likes collecting rare, valuable objects, no matter how much gold he coughs out of his ass to pay for them,” explained Heechul, “And apparently there’s a substantial haul of objects to be auctioned, especially stuff that’s hard to come by. Which brings me to my proposition…” 

Heechul fell silent when the barman returned, setting down two tankards on top of the counter.

“I’d almost forgotten earlier, Heechul,” spoke the barman, “Hangeng stopped by looking for you, thinking he’d find you here. He wanted me to pass you along with a message should I see you before he does.”

“What’s the message?” Heechul said offhandedly.

“He wasn’t able to snare the cod. Said you would know what it means or some shit like that.”

Heechul cursed under his breath. “He had _one_ fucking job!” he abruptly pushed his stool back, standing up, seething. “My apologies, Jong—I need to go take care of this right away, but not before I hang Hangeng by his fucking balls!”

Jongwoon waved a hand dismissively, indifferent to the other man’s outburst. “As you say, Heechul, who am I to question your priorities?”

Heechul let out a brisk laugh at this. “Birds of a feather certainly do flock together, don’t they, Jong? We’ll speak later after I resolve this matter unless you plan on taking off sometime soon?”

“No, I plan on hanging around,” said Jongwoon assuredly, before lifting up his mug with one hand, “In the meantime, I’ll sit back and enjoy this rum, courtesy of you, of course.”

“Aye, you do that, my dear friend. I truly was looking forward to catching up after all these years, gods know it’s been a long time! But don’t worry about me, fill your boots and enjoy, we’ll speak later,” said Heechul, clapping Jongwoon on the shoulder before hurriedly strolling over to the exit.

Jongwoon was left alone at the counter. He raised his mug to drink from it but no sooner than Jongwoon took a sip of his rum than he heard a loud screech from somewhere behind him. Jongwoon slowly turned, peering over at the commotion. Everyone else looked around quickly in the direction of the noise, including the barman.

One of the patrons, a grubby man with a greasy wave of gray hair, was forcibly dragging a young woman by her hair in the direction of the stairs, while the young woman sobbed and pleaded for the man to let her go. Her sobs only made the man yank harder on her hair, and he drunkenly yelled at her to shut up.

Jongwoon turned back around, his dark eyes settling upon the barman who simply watched the scene with unmistakable pity on his face. Then, as if feeling Jongwoon’s gaze on him. The barman met his eyes, his face startled at the way the other man was looking intently at him.

They stared at each other momentarily, until the barman visibly gulped before turning away to attend his patrons, as if nothing out of the sort had happened.

With a hard look on his face, Jongwoon clenched his mug, downing his rum in one go, feeling the bitter liquid burn his throat unpleasantly. Slamming the mug back on the counter, he stood up and wordlessly made his way in the direction where the man and the young girl disappeared not too long ago.

Jongwoon climbed up the stairs and reached a dimly lit corridor that led to an array of rooms. It didn’t take long for Jongwoon to find where they were, given the girl’s audible cries coming from behind one of the wooden doors. Jongwoon’s footsteps were firm but quiet as he approached that door. Once he was in front of it, he came to a stop. Without hesitating, he lifted a boot-clad leg and delivered a swift kick to the door, bursting it open.

Inside the small room on a large bed, the foul man was busy tearing the robes of the dark-haired girl, while the girl cried and winced in pain when a grubby hand abruptly struck her cheek.

“Shut the fuck up I said!” he growled.

The sound of the door banging against the wall made the man stop instantly, and he whipped around to the entrance to see the source of the sudden intrusion.

“For fuck’s sake, we’re in the middle of something here!” he spat at Jongwoon, eyeing him brusquely.

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Jongwoon, his voice void of anything that remotely sounded apologetic, as he inched closer to the bed, “It’s not any of my business where you stick your dirty pecker in, but I don’t tolerate pissheads like you hurting young, defenseless girls.” He spared a glance at the girl who was rapidly fixing her robes, a terrified look on her face as she watched the scene before her.

“What, you want to have a go with her or somethin’?” the man exclaimed loudly, staring angrily at Jongwoon, “Too bad, I saw her first! Now fuck off before I decide to have your guts hanging out of your stomach!” He grabbed the girl again, making her shriek.

Before he could do anything else to her, Jongwoon had drawn his dagger, and in a split second, it became covered in blood after it sliced across the man’s throat. The man gurgled audibly, choking on his own blood, before falling onto the bed, motionless.

Jongwoon wiped his blade clean on the man’s shirt before inserting it back into his waistband. He then shifted his focus to the girl who was visibly trembling as she stared at the dead man in utter shock. Jongwoon took a moment to study her. She looked quite young, but that wasn’t what struck him the most.

Hanging around her neck was a necklace of utmost familiarity to Jongwoon. It was a distinctive necklace with a silver seashell pendant that he had seen only one other person wear before…

Jongwoon couldn’t believe it.

He felt heart rapidly race, but he was careful to mask his emotions as his dark eyes flickered up to the young woman’s face. “Your necklace,” he breathed out, stepping closer to her, like a man in a dream. The girl flinched but she did not move when Jongwoon’s hand grasped the pendant before tugging at it, yanking the necklace free from her neck where it did not belong…

_Your answer lies in a stolen item that tells but hides plenty._

The Oracle’s words suddenly struck Jongwoon’s mind like a lightning bolt. 

“Where did you get this from?” he asked her, his voice deadly calm.

“I-It was a gift,” the girl stuttered, hesitantly meeting Jongwoon’s eyes, which burned with the intensity of a fire.

“From who?”

The girl shook his head. “I-I don’t know. H-He came the other day and we ah—we spent the night together, and he gave this to me as a gift before he left. He had a—a scar on his left cheek but I swear I don’t know anything else, I didn’t mean to start no trouble!” The poor thing was trying hard not to burst into tears when she saw how Jongwoon’s expression visibly darkened.

Jongwoon let out a deep sigh before reaching into his coat pocket and pulled out a few coins. He took ahold of the girl’s hand and proceeded to slip the coins in her palm.

“I can’t let you keep this necklace,” he said, releasing her hand, “But I hope this’ll be enough for your troubles. If I were you, I wouldn’t stick around here too long,” With that, he turned and made for the exit, leaving the girl to stare after him in shock and in wonder.

Jongwoon descended the stairs and entered the bar scene once more, looking as if he did not murder a man in cold blood moments ago. He caught the eye of the barman who looked at him apprehensively as if he knew exactly what Jongwoon had done. Jongwoon walked up leisurely to the bar until he was face to face with the barman.

“I do apologize for the mess,” he placed a gold coin onto the counter. His hands then reached up to adjust the collar of his jacket, and giving the petrified barman one last look, he strode over to the exit, descending into the night like the god of darkness himself. To think that he had told Heechul that he wouldn’t start trouble in the tavern…

The moonlight shone on Jongwoon as he slowly meandered on the cobblestone streets, his expression an indescribable one, while his left hand tightly clutched the object that he accidentally stumbled upon.

_Accidentally…_

Was it truly an accident that he found this necklace?

_It couldn’t be…_ Jongwoon bitterly thought. A burning curiosity filled his chest, and his heart was racing as fast as the flapping wings of a raven. If he found this necklace here, that must mean that _he_ had been here. But why? What were the circumstances that led to his necklace falling into the hands of a young woman in this place out of all places? 

Jongwoon’s eyes flickered up to the starless sky, while a cool night breeze rustled a few strands of his hair.

_Your answer lies in a stolen item that tells but hides plenty._

Ryeowook…

Ryeowook was the answer?

Jongwoon let out an aggravated sigh, feeling frustrated that coming here led him to more questions than answers. But not only that; it seemed that coming to Port Sapphire indirectly led Jongwoon to the very mythical creature that he thought he would never see ever again. Whether it was pure coincidence that he found this necklace, or the Fates’ doing, Jongwoon simply did not know.

At any rate, Jongwoon needed to find out who was the person who gave the girl this necklace and figure out exactly what he had to do with Ryeowook. More importantly…where was Ryeowook?

After some time, his feet moved on their own accord, silently, but dolefully, in the direction of the Dark Shadow, while his mind ran adrift with a mixture of thoughts which he could not temper. He turned a corner and as he did so, his ears vaguely registered boisterous laughter coming from somewhere not too far behind him.

A trio of men were walking towards the tavern that Jongwoon had emerged from not too long ago. 

Jongwoon ignored it, walking onwards, with solitude being his only companion for the night. 

Inside the _Drunk Pegasus_ , the trio of men were seated at a wooden table, laughing raucously at something that one of them, a thick-set, middle-aged man with a ruddy face, had remarked. This man held a burning tobacco pipe in one hand and his face was blotchy red, no doubt due to the amount of alcohol he had already ingested. 

Captain Park’s eyes scanned the room, seemingly searching for something—or _someone_. After not finding what he was looking for, he hollered out to the barman. “Aye, Sanghyuk! Where’s Minji? I thought I’d see her around here!”

The barman looked at the Captain with a vacant expression. “She took the night off, Captain… I’m afraid,” was all he said.

Captain Park clucked his teeth. “Pity. I was looking forward to another pleasant night with her. After all, there is _much_ to celebrate, am I right, lads?”

His companions nodded fervently.

“Is it true what they say, Captain?” one of them asked.

“About what, Woohyun?”

“A little birdie told me you managed to get your hands on something _unbelievable._ ”

A knowing smirk appeared on Captain Park’s face. “That little birdie perhaps may be right.”

“Don’t play coy with us, Captain! What is it?”

Captain Park cackled at this. “Can’t let the cat out of the bag so soon, gents, where’s the fun in that? Better to show than tell! But I will say, it’s a real fucking treasure unlike no other, you wouldn’t want to miss it for the world!”

“And this is what you’re going to present at the auction tomorrow?”

“Aye, aye. It’ll be the highlight of the night, and I expect Mr. Sooman himself will be very pleased when he lays eyes on my treasure.” 

“He’s a man with a fondness of beauty.”

“That he is, that he is,” Captain Park laughed, taking a long-drawn puff out of his pipe before exhaling, letting the smoke filter out from his crude lips, “I reckon the gods are in my favor, gents, it’s not too often you stumble upon such a beautiful treasure! I tell you, I was tempted to keep it for myself, but as I always say, one should never let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers, especially when there’s good coin to be made.” 

“I trust you have everything in order for tomorrow, then?”

“Oh, I certainly do,” was the reply, “It’ll be a night to remember, lads, that I can promise you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading.


	9. Rumor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be posted on Yesung's birthday ;; but I was so tired from staying up all night watching the Beyond Live. Anyway, thanks for your patience.

Zhoumi cast a somber look at the object that Jongwoon was holding for him to see in the light of the lanterns inside the captain’s cabin. The distinctive silver necklace, which glinted innocently in the soft glow of the lanterns, was not unfamiliar to the lieutenant. Yet, the captain’s distraught air told him of something ominous in regards to what the necklace signified.

“Captain…why in seven seas do you have that?” Zhoumi asked, his voice almost quiet, and his expression a stony one.

Jongwoon let his arm drop, but he drew the hand holding the necklace closer to his chest—his heart—his eyes making contact with Zhoumi’s in dead seriousness. “Because… I am almost completely certain that _this_ is the stolen item that ‘tells but hides plenty.’”

Silence overfell Zhoumi while his mind processed those unexpected words that hung in the air heavily. He then made a noise of disbelief. “Captain, you jest. We’ve only been here not even for a day, you can’t mean to say that we came all this way for a damn necklace—”

“Zhoumi,” Jongwoon interjected, “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t know exactly _who_ this necklace belongs to. If I’m holding this necklace in my hand right now, it can only mean one thing: it was _stolen_ from Ryeowook. Now, I don’t know how his necklace ended up here of all places, but I know for a fact that Ryeowook wouldn’t have willingly given it up, he cherishes it too much. Something tells me I was _meant_ to come across it.”

Zhoumi tensed at the mention of Ryeowook’s name before shaking his head, as if in denial. “Gods—do you _hear_ yourself, Jongwoon? You realize that if this is truly the stolen item the Oracle had been referring to, then that means that the siren has something to do with the Blood Star, you understand that, right? There’s no way we could have had such a critical lead like that slip right out from under our very noses! Not by any stretch of the imagination!”

“Listen, Zhoumi,” Jongwoon began, trying to calm the other man, “I’ve given it thought, and realistically, I think this necklace may be the very clue we need to find the Blood Star. Believe me, I’m also not happy about the prospect that Ryeowook might have anything to do with the Blood Star, and I fear that we may have been led unwittingly into a venture more complex beyond our understanding. Be that as it may, that is something we will have to find out for ourselves.”

Zhoumi hesitated, a part of him still in denial over the idea that the Oracle’s words had unsuspectingly guided them back to the very creature that they had been trying to put behind them for good… for Zhoumi, it was just inconceivable that Ryeowook could potentially be associated with the Blood Star in any way or form. But what also disturbed Zhoumi was that it was beginning to seem that no matter where they went—no matter how much they tried to physically and mentally distance themselves from the siren—they could never truly escape from Ryeowook’s specter. 

“The siren,” Zhoumi began tentatively, his eyes flickering to the silver chain in Jongwoon’s hand, “If he had his necklace stolen from him, wouldn’t that mean that he had some kind of unpleasant run-in with someone? For all we know, he may no longer be alive and then all of _this_ will just have been a big waste of time.”

The hand holding the necklace visibly clenched, and Jongwoon’s face hardened. A quiet anger began bubbling up inside of him for even entertaining the idea that Ryeowook was _dead_. He refused to believe it. He _refused._

“He’s _not_ dead,” he insisted, annoyed, “Ryeowook’s stronger than he looks, he’s not one to give in so easily. If he can incapacitate me, he can very well hold off on his own against some pisshead. At any rate, we must find that out for ourselves, and that’s what I intend to do.” 

Zhoumi exhaled, knowing there was no way of convincing Jongwoon to reassess his thoughts. But truth to be told, Zhoumi would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about the necklace. A part of him really did consider that it was no accident that the captain stumbled upon it here at Port Sapphire. Such an occurrence could not have simply been thrust upon the captain by the nature of things; it was as if the Fates themselves ordained him to find the necklace…

“How did you find it, anyway?” he asked.

Jongwoon absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over the ridges of the seashell pendant before responding. “A woman had been wearing it at the tavern that Heechul and I visited.” 

“A woman?” asked Zhoumi, his eyebrows raising, all sorts of questions formulating in his mind, “Just what in seven seas did you get yourself into, Jongwoon?”

Jongwoon let out a long-drawn sigh. “It isn’t what you think, Zhoumi. This shit-eating maggot was forcing himself onto her, so I took it upon myself to step in and run one through him. Though looking back on it, I reckon that might’ve been too lenient on my part... But if I hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t have spotted Ryeowook’s necklace hanging around the woman’s neck in the first place.”

“You took it from her?” was the immediate response.

“I compensated her for it,” said Jongwoon a bit defensively, “It wasn’t hers to begin with… She explained that the necklace was given to her as a gift from some bastard who stopped by the tavern a while ago, but she couldn’t give me a name, unfortunately. The only other thing she told me about him was the scar on his face. It’s not much to go on, but no matter, I’m fairly certain the bastard’s still lurking around somewhere in the port...”

“You’re going to give chase to this man?” said Zhoumi, frowning.

“I need to know how he got his dirty hands on the necklace in the first place,” said Jongwoon, meeting Zhoumi’s gaze evenly, “Only then will we have definitive answers about Ryeowook and the Blood Star.” 

Zhoumi let out a sigh, knowing he couldn’t argue with the logic of that. It was then that an unsettling question involuntarily arose in his mind: could it be that the magical blood the Oracle had spoken about was the blood of a _siren?_

As if on cue, Hyukjae’s words from the other day surfaced in his mind.

_“We sacrifice a magical creature, bleed it dry, and hope that the Blood Star will pop out in the sky right away! ‘Course, it’d have been more helpful if the damn Oracle had told you_ which _magical creature we need to procure the blood from...”_

Siren’s blood. Zhoumi had heard more than his fair share of tales about the magical properties of siren’s blood, from how it allegedly possessed healing properties, to how drinking it will grant immortality to the individual who consumes it.

But the Blood Star? It certainly was plausible that Ryeowook indeed was the magical creature whose blood the Blood Star demanded, as the Oracle had eerily told Jongwoon. But what were the chances of that being true? And had the captain pondered that possibility as well?

If there was one thing that Zhoumi was absolutely certain about, it was that finding the Blood Star was a more complicated and frustrating challenge than it had initially seemed…

Regardless, Jongwoon was right; they needed definitive answers, which Ryeowook presumably has. The best-case scenario was that he does, indeed. Still, there was a deep, pervading thought in Zhoumi’s mind that Jongwoon’s insistence in hunting down the man who snatched Ryeowook’s necklace was also rooted in an inconspicuous desire to find the siren himself. Zhoumi could only hope that Jongwoon’s feelings would not cloud his better judgment, as well as the overall mission.

“You said you were with Heechul. Where was he when all this happened?” he asked. 

“An unexpected matter came up that he had to attend to urgently,” replied Jongwoon, “Because of that, we weren’t able to talk specifics about his plan to ransack the auction tomorrow.”

“Captain, I thought the whole point of you agreeing to be a part of that was for the possibility of finding the stolen item there,” Zhoumi said, before motioning to the piece of jewelry in Jongwoon’s grasp, “If you insist on the necklace being the clue to the Blood Star, then _that_ should be our main priority, Jongwoon, not the auction.” 

Jongwoon nodded in agreement. “Aye, that I concur with, Zhoumi. But what I had in mind is that Heechul might possibly have an idea as to who the fucker who stole Ryeowook’s necklace is. Knowing Heechul, he most likely has a few friends in high places here…”

At that moment, a knock was heard on the door, interrupting their conversation.

Jongwoon swiftly tucked the necklace into his coat pocket before responding. “What is it?”

The door creaked open, and Jungsoo’s head popped in. “Apologies for bothering you at this late hour, Captain, but your friend, Captain Heechul, is asking for permission to board. He insists on having a word with you.”

Jongwoon shared a glance with Zhoumi. “Speak of the devil himself,” he muttered before turning back to Jungsoo, nodding. “Let him on.”

Soon enough, Heechul strode inside the captain’s cabin with an air of loftiness about him, though like Jongwoon, he bore a tired expression on his face.

“Didn’t think I would see you again so soon, Heechul,” said Jongwoon, pulling out an upholstered chair for the other man to take, before seating himself on another one.

Heechul chuckled before taking a seat. “What? Am I driving you up the wall already, Jong?” he said, before addressing Zhoumi with a nod.

“Not at all,” replied Jongwoon, stretching out his legs, with an air of being at home, “So, I take it you settled your business, then?”

“Aye, it’s been settled, fortunately. One of these days I ought to pour a libation to the gods for bestowing upon me a competent second-in-command.”

Jongwoon nodded in understanding. “He took take of the matter for you in quick time?”

“ _She_ ,” Heechul corrected, enjoying the expressions on both Jongwoon and Zhoumi’s faces upon correcting the captain. 

“She?” Jongwoon inquired, clearly confused, “What happened to Kibum?”

Heechul shrugged coolly. “The lad decided it wasn’t in his best interests to stick with me for the long haul, so he took off to become a theatre actor. Said he reckoned it was his true calling, performing in tragedy plays and all that mumbo jumbo. It turned out all right though...not too long after Kibum ditched, I met Momo, and gods—she’s as sharp as they come, I don’t know how I’d fare without her, truth to be told.”

Jongwoon detected a subtle change in Heechul’s demeanor, noting how his expression softened just a fraction upon evoking Momo’s name. He smirked slightly.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve met someone with a shrewd head on her shoulders… to show you the error of your ways, of course,” he said teasingly, before changing the subject, “So back to our conversation from earlier…”

“Before we get to that, Jong,” Heechul began, giving him a knowing look, “I heard what you did after I stepped out of the tavern… ‘I’m not looking to kick off trouble’ the man says!” he said accusingly to Zhoumi, jabbing his thumb in the direction of Jongwoon.

Jongwoon rolled his eyes. “If you had been there you wouldn’t have turned a blind eye either.”

Heechul hummed in response. “Aye, perhaps not... Either way, Sanghyuk says he’s not happy. Blood’s a bitch to clean, as I’m sure you’re all too well aware.”

A hint of a smile graced Jongwoon’s lips. “Naturally.”

Heechul then leaned forward in his chair, clearly ready to talk business. “Right then, back to my proposition… we don’t have much time so I’ll do my best to cut right to the chase.”

“About that, Heechul,” said Jongwoon, with a look of regret on his face, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to reconsider.”

Heechul raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? And why is that?”

Jongwoon hesitated while Zhoumi coughed awkwardly.

“You see… I came across the stolen item I told you earlier that I was trying to uncover,” he explained, “I didn’t think I would find it so soon, but now that I’ve found it, the auction’s just no longer in my interest.”

Heechul leaned back in his seat, while never breaking eye contact with Jongwoon. “Have you now? Well, care to disclose exactly what this mysterious item is, or are you going to keep me in the dark?”

Jongwoon thought for a moment before decisively reaching into his inner coat pocket and pulling out the piece of jewelry that had spurred a flurry of thoughts and emotions within him when he first laid eyes upon it in the tavern.

Heechul’s eyes narrowed upon settling on the silver necklace. “I’m clearly missing something here, Jong. What’s the deal with the necklace?”

Jongwoon took a deep breath. “It’s a long and complicated story, Heechul, and I’d rather not keep you the whole night explaining everything to you, you’re pressed on time as it is already.”

Heechul studied him as if trying to read him. “Honestly, Jong, I really didn’t lie when I said that something about you has changed… And if my intuition doesn’t deceive me, I suspect it has something to do with why you unknowingly pursued this necklace in the first place.”

For a moment, no one said anything. Jongwoon’s eyes were looking at everywhere but Heechul, while Zhoumi cast unsure glances at the captain. The unbearable silence was beginning to affect the eldest man as he let out an impatient sigh.

“If you two numbskulls knew me at all, you would know that I have heard a lifetime of unusual and complicated stories—a lifetime more than I needed to hear,” he said, eyeing them intently, “ _Spill_.” 

Finally, Zhoumi spoke up, deciding it would be best to not beat around the bush with the other man.

“Captain,” he addressed Heechul, “Would you believe us if we told you that not too long ago, we encountered a siren?”

Jongwoon flashed him a startled look, taken by surprise that his lieutenant would willingly bring up the topic of Ryeowook directly in front of Heechul.

Heechul’s face, on the other hand, betrayed no sign of surprise by Zhoumi’s sudden question.

“A siren, you say?” he asked as if he had not heard correctly. 

“As I said, Heechul, it’s a long, _complicated_ story,” said Jongwoon carefully.

“Oh, I’m sure it is, Jong,” said Heechul offhandedly, his face turning serious, “But I’m wondering if this is a coincidence…it just so happens that you lot aren’t the only ones to have encountered a siren as of recently.” 

At these words, Jongwoon and Zhoumi looked at him in total surprise.

“What do you mean by that, exactly?” Jongwoon demanded, his heart thudding in his chest in anticipation. 

Heechul was not impervious to the change in Jongwoon’s attitude. “Don’t get the wrong idea, it has nothing to do with _me_ personally, but rather the auction. Not too long ago I caught wind that some merchant and his crew managed to capture a real-life siren and he’s planning on putting him up for offer there—"

Jongwoon stood up so abruptly that he upturned his chair.

“Captain!” Zhoumi hissed.

Meanwhile, Heechul remained seated calmly, indifferent to Jongwoon’s sudden action, though a perceptible curiosity flashed in his eyes. 

“Who?” Jongwoon was surprised to hear his own voice come out shaky as he directed his question to the older man.

“Who?” Heechul repeated, not backing down from Jongwoon’s blazing eyes. He then shook his head, “That bit of information has eluded me, so I can’t tell you, I’m afraid. Now, I don’t know if it’s really true, or if it’s just some gimmick to draw more interest in the auction, but if you’re so curious to find out whether it’s true or not… well my proposition still stands, Captain, but not for long.”

Jongwoon exhaled deeply, willing his frustration to leave him in order to think more clearly, but to no avail. His mind was plagued with thoughts about Ryeowook, and deep within him, there was also a sense of worry... What were the chances that the rumor Heechul had heard was true? It would definitely explain how Ryeowook’s necklace came to be stolen from him…

Jongwoon then bent down to pick up the chair he toppled, turning it upright, before taking a seat once more.

“Heechul,” he began, his eyes burning with a newfound determination, “I’m listening. And in turn, I’ll tell you my story. _Everything._ ”

Heechul nodded, preparing to settle in for a long rest of the night. “Very well, then. Let’s talk.”

By the time the two captains finished their discussion, including laying out the groundwork for the plan, the first light of dawn was streaking the horizon outside of the cabin’s windows. Zhoumi had already left sometime earlier to keep watch over the ship, as well as to take some much-needed rest.

Jongwoon, meanwhile, had just finished recounting the pertinent details of his story about Ryeowook, in addition to an explanation of his quest to find the Blood Star. Heechul had listened carefully, never once interrupting, simply opting to nod every once in a while, to show that he was paying attention.

“Sounds like you’ve been through quite the ordeal with this siren…” said Heechul thoughtfully, his eyes staring out the window in thought.

Jongwoon let out a snort in response. “That’s all you can say after everything I’ve told you?”

Heechul grinned slightly as he turned to look at the other man. “Well you’ll have to forgive me, not all of us have had the pleasure of encountering an enchanting siren. Or _misfortune,_ I should say. But truth be told, I reckon your pursuit over this Blood Star is another fool’s mission you’re keen on carrying out, Jong.” 

“Please, you talk as if your plan to raid the auction isn’t a fool’s mission in of itself,” Jongwoon countered, “But come on, now, Heechul, you can’t mean to say that you don’t have even the slightest bit of curiosity in the Blood Star?”

“Ah, but you see, that’s where you and I differ, Jong. Chasing tales is not my cup of tea, I’m more of a man of strict business and I pride myself on that,” said Heechul earnestly, “You on the other hand… you were one to always aspire to the greater and fantastical things in life. I sensed that in you the moment I witnessed your sailing capabilities, and I ought to tell you it’s one of the reasons why I chose you as my sailing champion.” 

Quiet surprise overtook Jongwoon upon hearing this confession from his former mentor. 

He then let out a little laugh. “I always appreciate the hearty words of an old sea dog,” he said jokily.

Heechul’s eyes narrowed. “You scoundrel, I hope you took note, because next time, this old sea dog will knock some much-needed sense into you, and don’t you dare for a minute think that I can’t do it!”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you can,” he said lightly, “I shall look forward to that day, should it ever come.” 

“In all seriousness though,” Heechul began, “I reckon if anyone is to find this Blood Star, it’s you. After all, I’m the one who taught you that there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

“That you have, Heechul,” affirmed Jongwoon. 

With that, the other man rose from his chair and stretched out his muscles which were sore from being seated for a long period of time. “Right then, do we have ourselves a gentleman’s agreement?”

“Aye, we do,” replied Jongwoon also standing up, before extending his hand out to shake the other’s in unquestionable confirmation, “I shall meet with you in a few hours, then.” 

“As planned,” said Heechul, before striding over to the door. He opened it but at the last minute, he stopped and turned to look at Jongwoon over his shoulder, a coy look on his face. 

“You know, Jong, If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re nothing short of being in love with this siren. Who would’ve thought, eh?” he flashed a wink before exiting, chuckling under his breath, and leaving behind a visibly flustered Jongwoon.

**> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

It was the sound of heavy footsteps entering the room that woke Ryeowook from his dreamless sleep. Ryeowook’s eyes groggily opened and the first thing he registered was a flickering candlelight inside a lantern on the nightstand next to the bed he currently lied on. The flame illuminated a dim, windowless room, and judging by the familiar rocking sensation, Ryeowook knew he was still on board the ship whose unruly crew snatched him from the sea. 

Having been kept unconscious for most of his duration on the ship, there was little opportunity for Ryeowook to come up with a plot to escape on his own, as he had done before on a particular ship.

Captain Kim Jongwoon’s ship.

Ryeowook’s eyes suddenly widened when he recalled— with utter despair—how at one point while floating in and out of consciousness, the abhorrent captain of this ship had harshly ripped his cherished necklace from his neck, the very essence of his being, the object that unwittingly tied him to Jongwoon… taken from him in a heartbeat.

He tried to move, only to realize that his hands were tied together, and a piece of cloth muffled his mouth. How long he had been on this ship, Ryeowook did not know. But with every passing second, his stomach protested over his increased hunger, and his parched tongue sought out any bit of moisture.

The footsteps approached, and Ryeowook stilled.

“Up and at ‘em, pretty fishy!” a gruff voice boomed.

Ryeowook dismally recognized it as Sunho’s. He did not reply, simply choosing to glare at the two men who began talking amongst themselves.

“Sunho, you think Captain would mind if we have a little fun with him before we carry him off to the auction?” the other man asked, looking down at Ryeowook with a predatory look on his face. 

Sunho wheezed out a laugh. “Heavens know you’ve got the right idea, Wooseok! But I reckon that Cap’n will have our peckers chopped off for shark bait if we lay a hand on him! Used goods won’t reap as much coin, you see.”

“Pity, it’s been a while since I had some good entertainment on this ship,” the man called Wooseok said wistfully, “A beauty like ‘im is hard to come by as it is.”

“Well no fucking shit, Wooseok, the lad’s a siren!” replied Sunho curtly, “Of course his beauty is rare, you ever seen a mortal with hair brighter than the damn sun itself? But how much do you wanna bet that he’ll look even more beautiful with his lips wrapped around my cock! That’ll be a pretty sight for sore eyes, eh?” He then let out a cackle as if he made the greatest joke ever.

“Shove it, Sunho, that’s all you ever think about, you and that damn pecker of yours,” said Wooseok, rolling his eyes, “Let’s just get the siren to Mr. Sooman’s residence before the captain bites our heads off for lagging on the job.”

With that, he forcibly pulled Ryeowook to his feet, causing him to let out a wince, feeling disoriented as he tried to right himself on his two feet.

A chuckle came from Sunho. “Not so tough now, are you, fishy? Be interesting to see what price you’d fetch. Well, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we, Wooseok?”

Wooseok sneered. “That we will, Sunho, that we will.” 

Holding each of Ryeowook’s upper arms, the two crewmembers began dragging him out of the room and into a dimly-lit corridor with a set of wooden steps at the end, slivers of sunlight shining on them.

Ryeowook focused on keeping his strides even, despite the two brutes yanking him mercilessly along in the direction of the stairs. 

Once they stepped foot out onto the deck, Ryeowook’s eyes squinted from the sudden daylight striking his face. He suppressed a little whimper upon feeling the clean, salty scent of the sea strike his nostrils, and no sooner than he inhaled deeply than the two men pulled him along in the direction of the captain himself.

Captain Jaewon stood near the broadside of his ship, adjusting his ill-fitted red, silk waistcoat underneath his black buccaneer’s coat. When he saw his two subordinates with his prize, a nasty smile etched on his scarred face.

“Captain, the siren, as you requested,” said Sunho, prodding Ryeowook forward.

"Good," Captain Jaewon smirked, reaching out to grab Ryeowook’s chin. Ryeowook curtly turned his head to the side to ward off his filthy touch, causing the other man to laugh before addressing his crewmembers again. “See to it that he gets prepared adequately to be presented for tonight, I want him bathed and dressed fancy.”

“Aye, Captain.”

"Very well, then, " he then pulled out a scroll from his inner coat pocket, handing it to Wooseok, “This here is your key to entry into Sooman’s villa. You are to have the siren brought to a private room where he will remain put until it is time for him to be brought out for the event. If all goes well, lads, soon enough you shall feel those your pockets of yours grow fatter, how ‘bout that, eh?”

The buffoons cackled with shameless glee.

“That being said, I want _no_ mishaps, do I make myself clear?"

The laughter died. “Aye, Captain.”

Captain Jaewon turned his attention to Ryeowook once more, his eyes glinting with malice. “And you, my little songbird, are in for an interesting evening.”

With all the hate that Ryeowook could muster in his eyes, he directed it at the vile man in front of him. In spite of his fierce façade, there was a fear bubbling beneath his skin, as well as a sense of helplessness over the awful, impending fate that awaited him.

What was he to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok maybe I lied about there being no other idol cameos gjgkjrjg my bad. 
> 
> I ought to confess: I initially had this fic completed at 30k words. But the more I looked it over, the more ways I saw for the plot to unravel. That's partly why it's taking me longer to update bc there's more I'm adding to the overall story, which means that this story will be longer than I had originally intended it to be. I still plan on retaining the ending I had written out already, it's just a matter of building up to it. Either way, pls bear with me, I'll try to do better in updating. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading <3


	10. The Auction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told myself, "Bitch you're getting this chapter done before the first online streaming of Ryeowook's musical with him as J" djfddhghhd I came through ;; 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for your patience!

“Gods, I look like a craven idiot,” muttered Jongwoon in distaste as he eyed himself in front of a full-length mirror inside the tailor’s shop. The image that stared back at him was an unfamiliar one.

Recently bathed, Jongwoon found himself dressed in formal garb that the tailor had selectively chosen for him: a knee-length forest green _chiton_ that was almost entirely covered by a black _chlamys,_ a type of cloak that was pinned over one shoulder, the fabric draping all the way down to his knees _._ His favored boots were replaced with a pair of leather sandals and his hair was gathered into a neat, small ponytail, contrary to his characteristic, messy, wind-blown hairstyle.

All in all, it was the look of an aristocrat, not a rugged seaman.

“Looking sharp there, Jong,” Heechul teased, peering at Jongwoon’s reflection in the mirror, “I can hardly even recognize you out of your fatigues.”

“Funny, Heechul,” replied Jongwoon dryly, as he adjusted the cloth at his collarbone. The movement caused the fabric to shift slightly, revealing a particular silver chain that hung around his neck, quite inconspicuous-looking. The sight of it caused Jongwoon to stare at it momentarily as if subtly reminding him why he was doing this in the first place. 

“Lighten up, lad,” said the other man, clapping Jongwoon’s shoulder, “With the way you’re dressed, no one will ever suspect you’re a cunning sailor plotting to upturn the auction on its head. The lot of crooks won’t even know what hit them!”

“The lot of crooks didn’t become crooks by playing fair,” Jongwoon said, taking care to conceal the necklace underneath his clothing.

“We’re sailors, Jong, we don’t play fair either,” Heechul pointed out, a broad grin on his face.

Jongwoon could not help but let out a small chuckle at this. “Aye, that I can’t argue with.”

Heechul then turned to the tailor. “How much will it be then, Miss?”

The tailor, a stout middle-aged woman, responded coyly. “For you handsome men, I’ll lower the price to 20 silver pieces.”

Heechul flashed his charming smile before handing over the money. “Awfully lovely of you, my good lady, I knew I was right to assume you are the best of the best.”

The woman blushed while letting out a shy giggle, and playfully slapped Heechul’s chest. “Oh! You certainly know the right things to say, sir!”

“I simply tell it like it is, Miss,” said Heechul smoothly, winking at her. The blush on the tailor’s cheeks deepened, and Jongwoon suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. The two men then gathered their bearings, and strode out of the shop, stepping out onto the cobblestone streets with the afternoon sun shining upon them.

“Seems you’ve still got it in you, then,” Jongwoon remarked casually. 

A smirk appeared on Heechul’s face. “I never lost it to begin with,” he said, “Why? Would you like me to give you some pointers?”

Jongwoon was ready to make a snarky reply, but before he could do so, a feminine voice behind them beat him to it.

“Gods, don’t you ever get tired of being full of shit, Captain?”

The two men immediately turned around, startled, finding themselves in front of a young, pretty woman, looking elegant in a soft white, chiton dress that spilled all the way to her feet. Her dark hair was collected in a low bun, held in place with decorative gold brooches, while a few wisps framed her face in a delicate manner.

Heechul appeared breathless as he stared at her with wide eyes. “M-Momo?”

The woman, Momo, rolled her eyes. “Captain, please close your mouth before you end up choking on a fly, gods know that’s the _last_ thing I need right now,” she then laid eyes on his companion, her expression turning into one of curiosity. “You must be Captain Kim Jongwoon?”

Jongwoon regarded her respectfully. “Aye, Miss. And you must be the lovely second-in-command your captain has told me so much about…”

Momo turned to Heechul, clearly surprised by this tidbit of information. “Have you now, Captain?”

Heechul spluttered, visibly flustered. “He talks nonsense, I only mentioned you in passing!” he shot Jongwoon an angry look.

Momo appeared skeptical, but she let the matter drop. “Right then… Hangeng said I would find you here. I reckon it’s about time we start heading over to the villa now, don’t you think?”

Heechul regained his composure. “I think you’re right as always, Momo,” he then cleared his throat awkwardly, “Shall we quickly run through the plan one more time, then?”

Jongwoon shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, Heechul, I’ve got it all in my head,” he said, “We’re running it just like the old days. I do the interference; you make the heist.”

His words caused the corners of Heechul’s mouth to curve upwards in a wily manner. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

In the distance, the trio could see the outline of the villa, a waterfront residence that was situated on a seaside slope, away from the port’s bustling town. The horizon was brushed with a pink-orange hue from the setting sun, drifting a deep, pervading tranquility across the landscape; a sharp contradiction to what was to ensue within the hours to come.

“Here is where I’ll break off,” stated Heechul, before turning to Momo. “Don’t forget, we’ll be close by with the rowboats. You have the means to defend yourself, right?”

In response, Momo’s hand went to her thigh, pushing away the split fabric, revealing a concealed blade that hung on a leather band.

“Good girl,” Heechul said approvingly, turning back to Jongwoon. “Once we’ve secured most of the merchandise, I’ll set off a signal to let you know when to make your getaway… Let us hope everything goes according to plan.” 

“Have faith, Heechul,” Jongwoon said encouragingly, “We’ve been through worse before.”

“Be that as it may, we can’t be too complacent,” warned Heechul, “I have no reason to doubt your abilities, but I trust you to watch out for yourself.” 

“Should it come to worst, I’ll know what to do,” Jongwoon said assuredly before pausing. “The siren…”

“Listen, Jongwoon, I don’t wish to instill false hopes, but I reckon it’s best to assume that the rumor I heard has a ring of truth to it. Either way, you can trust that I’ll keep my eyes wide open,” said Heechul importantly, “If the siren truly is there, with any luck, he won’t be the first one in the lineup. But remember, you need to focus on buying us some time, that’s the most important part, otherwise all of this will have been for naught.” 

“I know that, Heechul” said Jongwoon, “As I’ve said, I’ve got it all in my head… I just want to be ready… for whatever happens.”

His countenance was of confidence, but on the inside, his gut twisted at the tormenting possibility of seeing (once again) the magical creature who unwittingly became affixed in his mind and in his heart.

The villa was way larger than Jongwoon had imagined, and quite luxurious too, with its colonnaded walls, and ample garden space littered with cypress trees and teeming with flowering plants including hyacinths and marigolds. A faint sea breeze swept over the landscape, the pleasant scent all too familiar to the captain. 

Jongwoon and Momo approached the iron gate in front of the villa, which was flanked by armed guards on duty who eyed them curiously.

“We are here for the auction,” Jongwoon declared to one of them, meeting his eyes evenly.

“The entrance fee is 100 silver pieces,” the guard replied coolly.

Wordlessly, Jongwoon held out a small pouch and tossed it to the guard who caught it before opening the pouch to inspect its contents.

After a minute, he gave a nod, stepping aside to open the gate for the pair. “Proceed through the entrance and then straight to the atrium. The auction will be starting shortly.”

With that, the pair made their way past the gate, and towards the large marble portico. To Jongwoon’s piqued curiosity, the path they walked on was lined with life-size statues of one particular goddess: Aphrodite.

Momo scoffed. “This man’s a bit full of himself, isn’t he?”

Jongwoon let out a snort in response. “Quite an understatement. Son of a bitch probably thinks he’s favored by the love goddess. Makes me want to sack him for all he’s worth… Right then, ready to enter the lion’s den?”

Momo nodded, lacing her arm with Jongwoon’s. 

They stepped into the villa and a servant who was on standby guided them to the atrium.

The atrium was a grand room, illuminated by the light of the flaring sconces affixed to the walls. The walls themselves were frescoed, displaying murals of famous mythological scenes. One painting in particular stood out to Jongwoon; it depicted the scene of the hero Odysseus successfully sailing past the enchanting calls of sirens. The painting struck Jongwoon so much that it elicited the powerful feeling he had felt when he first heard Ryeowook sing…

At the far end of the atrium, a large wooden platform had been constructed, and scattered in the proximity of it were men and women, dressed in fancy garb similar to what Jongwoon and Momo were wearing, chatting unconcernedly with each other while indulging in the food and drink that slave boys were offering on silver platters as they moved about the room.

The pair walked further into the room, while Jongwoon ran his eyes all over the atrium in hopes of finding a certain man with a scar on his face. His brief search was to no avail. 

One of the slave boys suddenly appeared, holding out his platter lined with cups to Jongwoon. Another then appeared with a platter full of food.

Jongwoon acknowledged them with a small nod before taking a cup, while Momo grabbed a small cluster of grapes. The slave boys promptly strode off to serve the other patrons. 

“I feel so out of place here,” Momo said quietly so that only Jongwoon could hear. “Like a damn fish out of water.” 

“You and me both,” he replied, taking a sip of his wine. “Seems like we’ve still got a while before the auction starts.”

“What should we do then?” asked Momo, popping a few grapes into her mouth as she observed the room attentively.

“Not much we can do other than act like we’re enjoying being here,” said Jongwoon dryly before clearing his throat. “In the meantime, let’s strike a conversation to pass the time… Care to enlighten me on how you came to be under Heechul’s wing? I truly am curious as to how you crossed paths with a man like him.”

Momo looked at him as if she didn’t expect to be asked that all of a sudden. She paused as if debating how she should answer. “It’s…it’s not a pretty story, Captain…”

Jongwoon nodded in understanding. “I’ve heard more than my fair share of unpleasant stories,” he said patiently.

Momo then let out a little sigh, deciding to reveal her story to this man she only just met today. “It was by sheer fortune that I met Captain Heechul… A while back, I was taken from my homeland against my will to board a slave ship where I was to be sold on an island in the Cyclades. Once the ship made landfall, I was able to escape on my own, but the traders were quick to notice and they immediately gave chase to me, so I ran for it. My memory is sort of foggy at this part but I remember literally running right into Heechul somewhere in an alley. After the hell I’ve been through on that ship, I wasn’t in my right state of mind—I had thought that he would return me to those wretched traders, so I tried to kill him. It’s almost laughable now that I think about it…Back then I was a weak little thing, anyone could’ve seen that I was _no_ match against someone like him. But Heechul… he noticed how distressed I was, and he took it upon himself to help me.”

She continued. “I was scared and hesitant to trust him but at that moment, the traders had caught up to me and demanded that Heechul hand me back to them. Captain, you seem to know him well enough, I’m sure you can guess what Heechul did next…”

“He cut down those sons of bitches,” Jongwoon supposed. 

Momo nodded. “After that, I had a change of heart. I explained to him the ordeal I’ve been through. He then told me that he admired my fighting spirit and said that he would gladly take me back to my homeland on his ship. But strangely enough, I didn’t want to go back. There was something in Heechul that compelled me to want to stay by his side even though I’ve never sailed freely on a ship in my life. Still, I asked if he would consider having a place for me among his crew. And do you want to know what he said?”

Jongwoon waited.

Momo let out a snort. “Heechul… this man’s unbelievable, really…he said he’ll consider it only if I help him burn down the ship that I escaped from.” 

“And so you did.”

“Aye, and so I did,” Momo affirmed. “We killed the lot of the traders too, and freed the others who were kidnapped to be sold like I almost was… And then afterwards, I began my seafaring life aboard Heechul’s ship… So that’s basically my story, Captain. As I said, it’s not a pretty one, but things turned out for the better, I reckon.”

“Quite a story,” Jongwoon remarked candidly. “But I’m glad it turned out well for you in the end.”

Momo hummed in agreement. “What about you?” she then asked, “Is it really true that you’ve encountered a siren?”

The sudden topic shift to Ryeowook caused him to pause momentarily. 

“Aye… that’s right,” he nodded, “Heechul must have told you all about it, then.”

“Only a bit,” admitted Momo, “He had commented something about you looking for the Blood Star and something about you being moony-eyed over this siren. Forgive me for saying this, Captain, but you’re really strange. No living man is fool enough to have a near-death experience because of a siren, only to become infatuated with him afterwards.”

Jongwoon could not help but laugh amusedly at her bluntness. Still, he did not want to comment further on the nature of his relationship with Ryeowook, as he himself was struggling to put it into words. “Then I must be the world’s biggest fool, aren’t I?” 

At that moment, the slave boys began bustling about to collect the _kraters_ of wine to take back to the kitchen, in addition to the remaining platters of food. This indicated to Jongwoon that the auction was to begin very soon.

“Right then, I think now’s a good time to create a diversion,” he said, looking around in case they were being watched, “You ready?” 

Momo snatched the cup Jongwoon was still holding in his hand, and in a heartbeat, she downed the rest of its contents. She pulled the cup away from her lips, revealing a crafty smile. “Let’s do this.”

With that, she began making a show of fanning herself with her hand. "Goodness, why is it so _warm_ in here?” she exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of a few patrons standing nearby.

Jongwoon at first was caught off guard by her actions, but then he quickly caught on to her act. “My love, are you all right?”

Momo placed the back of her hand against her forehead and began to sway slightly on the spot, putting on a convincing display of lightheadedness that even impressed Jongwoon. “No… it’s really quite unbearable in here… I feel…” And with that she stumbled, falling forward right into Jongwoon’s arms, dropping the cup which clattered loudly on the polished floor.

There were a number of gasps from the other women standing close by as people turned around to see what had happened.

“For fucks sake! Will someone fetch me some water for my wife?” Jongwoon angrily demanded, acting the role of a caring husband.

A calm, but imposing voice then interjected.

“Perhaps the lady needs a small respite? If you’d like, I can offer a private room where she may lie down until she comes about.”

An aged, bespectacled man, with salt-and-pepper hair, suddenly appeared in front of Jongwoon, radiating an aura of power and wealth. His face was of calmness, but there was a subtle, devilish cruelty in every line in his hard, unyielding features. Jongwoon didn’t need to think twice about who this man was.

Lee Sooman.

Still… this was their chance.

“I will take you up on that offer, sir,” Jongwoon replied, glancing down at Momo with concern etched on his face, “The stifling air must’ve been too much for my poor wife.”

“Ah yes, it happens sometimes,” Mr. Lee said sympathetically, “Follow me, then.”

Gathering an “unconscious” Momo in his arms, Jongwoon followed the other man, who was flanked by one of his guards, out of the atrium, and to the grand foyer.

Off to the side, they entered a passageway that led to a series of rooms. Mr. Lee paused in front of one of them, pushing the wooden door open, revealing a bedroom with an ample-sized bed in the middle.

“Please,” Mr. Lee gestured for Jongwoon to enter first. Jongwoon wasted no time in stepping inside the room, in the direction of the bed. He carefully placed Momo on the bed, feeling Mr. Lee’s hawk eyes on his back.

Jongwoon then straightened before facing Mr. Lee again. “I should like to thank you for your hospitality, sir, may the gods smile upon you.” _May the gods shit upon you._

The other man looked at him quizzically. “And who exactly might you be, young man?”

Jongwoon’s prepared answer was ready to slip out from his tongue, but he caught himself, remembering to respectfully regard the older man with a slight head bow first while repressing the urge to straight up tell him to fuck off.

“My name is Kim Yesung, sir” replied Jongwoon, “My wife and I have traveled from Naxos to partake in this auction you are graciously hosting in your villa.”

Mr. Lee continued to eye him, and Jongwoon did not miss the flicker of suspicion in his eyes. “You strike me as familiar, young man, have we by any chance had an encounter before?”

“I don’t believe so, sir, unless perhaps you have been to Naxos some time back?”

Mr. Lee stopped as if to think hard, before shaking his head. “No, I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting, though I hear it’s quite a lovely place.”

“Aye,” Jongwoon affirmed, “The winters are mild and the summers are very warm. But the storms… the storms are fierce if you don’t know how to hold your ground against them.” He said the last part in a slightly ominous manner.

Mr. Lee hummed, seemingly not taken notice of Jongwoon’s subtle tone change. “So then, I assume there is something of interest that drew you here to the auction tonight?”

“Indeed, sir,” replied Jongwoon, “Of course, I should not like to haggle with you over it, as I am sure you can afford to take away everything up for offer tonight.”

Mr. Lee laughed, but it was a humorless one. “You’re not wrong there, young man. But what would be the point in that? There is a grandeur in being selective when it comes to possessing the most beautiful and precious objects, and I should like to think I am a _little_ selective.”

Jongwoon did not know how to respond to this, so opted to politely smile instead, though it probably came off as a grimace.

“Well then!” Mr. Lee said, cutting their conversation short. “I believe the event is about to start, we wouldn’t want to miss it now, do we?”

Jongwoon faked concern. “My wife…”

“My attendants shall see to it that she gets taken care of properly, I can assure you of that. In the meantime, perhaps you might be able to acquire something splendid for her for when she awakens?”

Jongwoon made to look as if considering before he finally acquiesced. “I will do my best.”

“Good man. Shall we then?”

Mr. Lee guided them back to the atrium where by now everyone was gathered in front of the wooden platform, waiting for the auction that was to begin shortly. Mr. Lee was escorted to an upholstered couch reserved for him at the very front, while Jongwoon hovered somewhere not too far off. So far, everything was going according to plan. By now, Momo should have already sneaked her way out of the room, on her way to meet with Heechul and the others to help them infiltrate the villa. With luck, she wouldn’t have encountered any difficulties along her way, though if she had, there would have been a ruckus about it by now. 

Finally, everyone quieted down as the auctioneer, a balding thick-set man with the jaw of a bulldog, made his way onto the wooden platform. He adjusted himself before audibly clearing his throat, letting his strong voice ring out into the atrium. 

"Welcome to tonight's auction! I know you are all very excited to see the exotic items of rare value that will be offered tonight. To kick off the night in the most exciting way, I shall start off with the grandest specimen we have in our lineup… An extraordinary creature who hails from the wonders of the sea, a magnificent sight to behold…” he gestured to the guard standing off to the side who then disappeared into a hidden room behind the platform. “I present to you…a siren!"

The crowd murmured loudly as the guard forced a beautiful young man with golden hair onto the platform. He wore a sheer, long-sleeved lacy white blouse, fitted into a pair of tight black trousers. His mouth was gagged, and his hands were bound behind his back. Angry tears welled up in his eyes as he faced an unfamiliar crowd of people who were looking at him with greediness and lust in their eyes. Once Jongwoon laid eyes on him, his face was scrawled with palpable shock, but it soon dissipated as a wave of brooding anger began to fill his heart. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Not only was the rumor that Heechul had heard about a siren being offered at this auction true, but this same siren just _happened_ to be the first one in the auction’s order to be bid on.

_Shit…_

"As you can see," the auctioneer leered at the siren, "He is a stunning beauty. Dare I say his face rivals that of the love goddess herself! The fortunate one who wins him will possess an _invaluable_ possession, but a word of caution, for this siren’s beautiful voice can enchant one to the depths of the underworld itself. A prime specimen, indeed! "

An angry voice came from the crowd. “Are you taking the piss? Sirens don’t exist any more than Pandora’s Jar does!”

Another angry voice followed suit. “How do we know he’s truly a siren? I don’t see no fucking fishtail on him!”

But the auctioneer smiled easily. “Captain Park, please, if you will,” he addressed someone in the crowd.

That someone then stepped forward, his steps uneven in his haste to speak to the crowd. When he turned, Jongwoon’s eyes hardened upon seeing a lengthy scar run across the man’s left side of his crude face.

_So he’s the fucker…_

“My good men, allow me the chance to alleviate your misgivings,” the man said, before reaching inside his coat pocket and pulling out an object, holding it up for the audience to see: a glass vial with something iridescent and glowing inside of it.

“The scales of a siren,” said Captain Park, smiling at the way the crowd murmured in astonishment. “Beautiful, aren’t they? Just like gemstones! As it unexpectedly happened, this siren’s tail transformed into human legs when my crew hauled him out of the water. Now, if it weren’t for my quick wit in cutting off a piece before they disappeared, I wouldn’t be standing here before you all this fine evening showing you these precious scales!” He then laughed, the crowd joining him, impervious to the pained look on Ryeowook’s face upon seeing a part of him crudely displayed before the greedy masses.

In his peripheral vision, Jongwoon noticed a few men adjusting themselves, ready to clamor over each other in order to bid on Ryeowook. Jongwoon would be damned before he let any one of them place their dirty fucking hands on him. 

"Get on with the bidding, then, I want to have the siren warm my bed!” a deep voice from the crowd growled.

Ryeowook visibly stiffened at the obscene remark.

"If the siren is warming anyone’s bed, it’ll be mine, Hyunwoo!" another voice called.

Captain Park’s eyes lit up greedily in anticipation of a huge bidding war for the siren.

"My, my, what enthusiasm I am seeing tonight!" the auctioneer laughed, clearly amused by the competitive atmosphere building up. "Well then, shall we start the bidding at fifty gold pieces? For a precious thing like this, that’s practically nothing!"

Hyunwoo, unsurprisingly was the first to bid. "Fifty!”

"Sixty!" another man shouted.

Hyunwoo responded. "Sixty-five!"

Jongwoon was trying to resist the urge to take out his concealed knife and slay everyone in the room, starting with Hyunwoo. On the inside, an unbridled lion was ready to unleash his true power.

"Seventy!"

"Seventy-five!"

"Eighty!"

“Eight-five!”

“Ninety!” Hyunwoo exclaimed, a manic look in his eyes.

"Ninety gold pieces going once!" the auctioneer called.

"Going twice!" Jongwoon merely kept his eyes on Ryeowook, who at the last second met his, and widened in shock.

"Two hundred gold pieces!" Jongwoon’s powerful voice resonated throughout the room and was rewarded with silence, followed shortly by an explosion of chaos.

"Quiet! Quiet!" The auctioneer waved his arms as he shouted over the noise. "Do we have any further bids?"

“Three hundred,” came another voice.

Heads swiveled in the direction of the quiet but commandeering voice, and soon enough hushed whispers erupted in the room. Jongwoon gritted his teeth.

“Wonderful! Three hundred gold pieces from our gracious host himself, Mr. Lee Sooman!” the auctioneer’s voice boomed, “I say, do we have any further bids?”

 _Stick to the plan, Jongwoon_. “Four hundred,” he said, without missing a beat. 

“We now have four hundred gold pieces in the room! Do I hear five hundred?”

“Five hundred.”

“Six hundred,” Jongwoon immediately declared.

“Ho ho! This gent’s a persistent one, isn’t he?” the auctioneer laughed. “Do I hear six-fifty?”

Mr. Lee spared a glance at Jongwoon, his mouth curved up in the faintest of smirks. “Eight hundred.”

The auctioneer was beside himself, and for the first time in the night, he was speechless, his eyes wide as saucers, no doubt incredulous over the insurmountable amount of gold being offered for the siren.

“Nine hundred!”

This back and forth went on for a bit until Mr. Lee finally grew impatient.

“Two thousand!” Mr. Lee’s voice asserted as he gesticulated with his hand, “We haven’t got all night for this!” 

Even Jongwoon was taken aback by Mr. Lee’s brazen counteroffer. _Two thousand gold pieces?_ Had Jongwoon seriously engaged in this auction with the intent of forking over his own money, he would’ve been caught short at this point. Mr. Lee simply had the financial advantage. But all he could think about was the need to buy enough time for Heechul and the others to secure the merchandise and to make their getaway.

The auctioneer quickly composed himself upon hearing no immediate counteroffer from Jongwoon.

“Right then, two thousand going once… Going twice!”

Jongwoon’s eyes met Ryeowook’s, which were silently begging.

_Hold on for a little longer._

“SOLD!” the auctioneer’s voice boomed, “To none other than the venerable Mr. Lee Sooman!”

Polite applause broke out among the audience, though some, like Hyunwoo, were scowling.

Ryeowook was already being guided off the platform. Just as the guards were about to lead him in the direction of the highest bidder, an explosion was heard, and the room rattled, while panicked shouts filled the air.

Lee Sooman immediately got to his feet.

Seconds later, a guard came rushing into the atrium.

“Sir, the east wing has been breached with some kind of explosive!” he declared.

Mr. Lee seethed. The east wing was where the cellar storing most of the auction’s merchandise was located. “Find out who is responsible and detain them at once!”

The guard nodded, and soon he and a small cohort of other guards began rushing in the direction of where the explosion had come from.

A second explosion came, and almost instantly, the patrons began to stampede towards the exit.

Amidst the commotion, Jongwoon seized his chance and thundered in the direction of Ryeowook, pushing patrons out of his way, as they scrambled to the exit in a mad dash. 

Mr. Lee’s personnel were ushering him to safety, and another guard grabbed onto Ryeowook’s arm with the intention of pulling him along as well, but Ryeowook resisted as best as he could. The guard, growing impatient, grabbed onto Ryeowook’s hair, causing him to cry out. Jongwoon, with fury running through his veins, rushed forward and punched the guard in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor.

Ryeowook’s eyes looked at Jongwoon in utter surprise, but there was also a spark of happiness in them. _Jongwoon’s mother had predicted right all along_.

In one swift movement, Jongwoon pulled out his blade and cut loose Ryeowook’s wrists from his bonds. Once they were freed, Ryeowook yanked the gag from his mouth.

“Captain,” his soft, lovely voice rang out.

“Come with me,” was all Jongwoon said, as he began tugging Ryeowook in the direction of the exit.

“THE SIREN! HE’S TAKING THE SIREN!” Lee Sooman’s authoritative voice roared across the room.

Jongwoon picked up the pace, pulling Ryeowook along with him as they pushed their way out of the atrium.

Once they were out, they weaved throughout the marble columns, until they finally stepped outside of the villa where the short stretch of beach greeted them, as well as the moonlit sea. Jongwoon could hear the increased footsteps and the shouts of the guards catching up to them.

 _Shit_. Jongwoon thought. He knew he was going to have to confront them if they were to escape. But Ryeowook…

Jongwoon came to a stop, his hand still holding onto Ryeowook’s elbow.

“Ryeowook,” he breathed out, looking directly into the siren’s soulful eyes. “Listen to me, you’re going to have to keep going without me. Run straight down this path and don’t stop until you reach the shore. Someone will be there to help you, I promise.”

Ryeowook immediately shook his head. “Don’t leave me, Captain,” he said, his eyes silently begging him.

Jongwoon’s heart panged, but he willed himself to be rigid. “I can’t fight them off while protecting you at the same time! Do as I say, Ryeowook! _Go!”_

Ryeowook shook his head again, a stubborn look on his face. “I won’t!”

Jongwoon’s expression hardened, not believing the way Ryeowook was acting. Was he serious? Before he could say anything, Ryeowook spoke, his eyes holding determination in them. 

“Trust me, Captain,” he said so emphatically, that Jongwoon found himself unable to say no to him.

At that point, their pursuers appeared, and they wasted no time in rushing forward with their own weapons held aloft.

Jongwoon meant to instinctively push Ryeowook behind him, but to his utter surprise, Ryeowook had a different idea of his own, as he stood in front of Jongwoon, taking a stand in front of the guards.

“No! Ryeo—”

Jongwoon was cut off when the utmost sweetest sound filled his ears, causing his mind to go blank as he tried to process what was happening.

Despite his back facing him, Ryeowook’s form seemed to glow in the silver moonlight as his voice filled the night air; it was a voice that could purge any poison from the heart.

Jongwoon wasn’t the only one impacted by the stunning voice. The guards, who had been prepared to get violent, went slack, their weapons dropping to the ground, and their expressions in complete disarray; a sign that they had been successfully enchanted by the magical creature standing before them.

The singing then ceased, and Jongwoon blinked, feeling confused when he felt a hand tugging at his _chlamys._

“Captain!” Ryeowook’s voice cut into his stupor. “Captain, we have to go now!”

Jongwoon blinked again as he resurfaced back to reality. “Ryeowook?”

“Hurry, Captain, they won’t be stuck in a trance for much longer!” Ryeowook pressed, trying to pull Jongwoon towards the shore. 

It took a second for Jongwoon to regain full control of himself, and wasting no further time, he grabbed Ryeowook’s hand, and together they raced towards the sandy beach.

At the far end of the shore, they spotted a rowboat where Heechul and Momo were quickly stowing away the last bit of the stolen merchandise.

“Jongwoon! Get your ass moving!” Heechul called out when he spotted them.

Jongwoon and Ryeowook quickly rushed over to the rowboat. Once they reached it, Heechul did not hesitate to help Ryeowook climb into the boat. Jongwoon then used his strength to push the rowboat further into the water before swiftly hopping in afterwards.

Heechul immediately began rowing in the direction of his ship, which had been stationed behind a boulder in the near distance so that it was largely kept hidden out of view from the villa’s standpoint, with most of the auction’s items already hauled onboard by Heechul’s crewmembers.

“Was that you who sang?” Heechul suddenly asked Ryeowook, slightly startling him.

“You heard it?” Jongwoon asked in disbelief.

“Oh, we heard it all right,” said Heechul, grumbling. “It threw me off a bit, and Momo had to give me a good slap to bring me back to my senses.”

“You’re welcome, Captain,” said Momo plainly. 

“I’m sorry,” said Ryeowook sincerely, “If I hadn’t done it, the guards would’ve caught up to us.”

Heechul looked at him in surprise, but he did not say anything in return.

“It was faster that way too,” explained Jongwoon, “It spared me from having to get stuck in a bloodbath back there…”

“So you’re a siren?” Momo asked curiously as she studied Ryeowook with her doe eyes.

Ryeowook stiffened, expecting to receive a hostile attitude from her. “… I am.”

“Huh,” said Momo thoughtfully, “Aren’t sirens supposed to have those pretty tails?”

Ryeowook was saved from having to respond to that awkward question when the rowboat finally pulled alongside Heechul’s ship. Heechul let out a whistle, and almost instantly, a head peered over the side of the ship.

“Captain!” a voice called out.

“Aye, aye, it’s me,” said Heechul offhandedly, “Now hurry up and help us hoist the rest of the plunder on board!”

The sailor spared a glance at Jongwoon and Ryeowook before calling a few more crewmembers to obey the captain’s order.

Within a matter of time, the crew helped them to board in quick time.

“Hangeng, get this ship moving now before they give chase to us!” Heechul addressed the sailor who first spotted them.

Some of the crew who had been helping haul the merchandise onto the shop, stupidly stood in place, awestruck by Ryeowook’s dazzling beauty.

“That goes for the rest of you lot! Get moving!” Heechul barked. At his fierce command, the crew scampered to help the set the ship in motion. 

“Captain,” Ryeowook said softly to Jongwoon. The other man focused his attention on him and noticed that he was visibly struggling to stay awake. “Captain, I feel sleepy.”

Jongwoon looked at him with concern. Why was he so sleepy all of a sudden? Was it because he spent a great amount of energy putting the guards in a trance?

“If you’d like to rest now, I’ve set aside a room for you both,” said Heechul, having overheard what Ryeowook said to Jongwoon. 

“I truly appreciate that, Heechul,” said Jongwoon gratefully. “I’ll take him to the room so he can rest and then I’ll meet with you in a bit.”

Heechul nodded. “Momo, show them to their quarters, yeah?”

“Aye, Captain.”

With that, Momo guided the two of them to a private room below the deck, equipped with a single bed, large enough for them both. Momo proceeded to light a lantern with a match, and soon, the room became engulfed in a dim light.

Ryeowook stood there, unsure of what to do until Jongwoon gently prodded him in the direction of the bed. “Go on, Ryeowook, it’s ok.”

Ryeowook shyly nodded before regarding Momo with a quick nod of his head. Kicking off his sandals, he slipped beneath the covers, and in a matter of time, he was out like a candlelight.

“He’s very beautiful, Captain,” Momo said in a low voice, as she stared admiringly at his sleeping figure.

“Aye, that he is,” Jongwoon replied, also staring at Ryeowook, with a soft expression in his eyes before turning to Momo. “I have to say, Momo, you’ve exceeded my expectations. Heechul is quite fortunate to have you as his second-in-command.”

Momo met his eyes, taken aback slightly by the sudden praise. “I reckon it’s the other way around, Captain, As I’ve told you, I’m the fortunate one for having met him in the first place. It’s funny how the Fates work that way, guiding us to the right people, isn’t it?”

“Aye, it is,” said Jongwoon, turning to look at Ryeowook again. “But that doesn’t mean we have to completely yield to what the Fates had planned for us. We shape our own destinies with our individual choices.” 

Momo considered this. “Are you proud of the individual choices you have made so far, Captain?”

Jongwoon thought for a moment. “Gods know there were some questionable choices I made that almost cost me my life,” he answered honestly. “But they have gotten me this far in life, there’s no denying it.”

Momo nodded in understanding. “And I’m sure they’ll get you even further, Captain. I guess you’re not as big of a fool as I thought you were.” She flashed him a wink before bidding him goodnight and exiting the room, leaving Jongwoon to stand there for the longest period of time as he stared at Ryeowook, feeling more conflicted with himself than ever before.

Why was he suddenly acting this way with him? He should have known that he was not himself; that he was thinking with his heart and not his mind. Still, he felt with all the power of intuition that his own destiny rested on the beautiful being that was sleeping on that bed. His individual choice to come to this auction was one that he felt no regrets for… at least for now.

Jongwoon let out a sigh before quietly exiting the room.

Out on the deck, he found Heechul talking to a few of his crewmembers. Once Heechul spotted him, he waved them off.

“Your crew knows where to meet us, right?” Heechul asked Jongwoon once he was within earshot.

Jongwoon nodded. “I had told Zhoumi to expect us by daybreak...” he then swiped his hand over his tired face. “Shit Heechul—I still can’t believe we pulled that off.”

Heechul let out a worn-out laugh. “It was a close one, there’s no denying it. Just like the old days, eh?”

“Aye, indeed. Except now we’ve got no energy to celebrate,” said Jongwoon light-heartedly.

“Speak for yourself! I plan on having a busy rest of the night myself,” said Heechul loftily. “…Is the siren asleep?”

“He fell asleep right away,” replied Jongwoon. “He must’ve been worn out from everything that happened tonight.” 

Heechul then looked at Jongwoon with an apologetic expression on his face, “Forgive me, Jong, I tried to find him, really, I did, but he was nowhere to be found and I had come to conclude that the rumor was false after all.”

“No need to apologize, Heechul,” said Jongwoon, shaking his head. “There’s no way you could’ve possibly known that Ryeowook would be the first one in the lineup, as you feared could’ve happened. What matters is that we managed to get him out of there.”

“That was all you, Jongwoon,” said Heechul. “You found what you were looking for all along.”

Jongwoon paused, suddenly thinking back to the Oracle’s words, asking himself if what Heechul said was truly the case. “I should hope so, Heechul.”

They talked for a little longer until Jongwoon felt like he was ready to pass out from exhaustion.

When he returned to the room where Ryeowook was sleeping in, he found Ryeowook still asleep, his expression a peaceful one. He stood there, debating with himself whether he should share the bed with Ryeowook; he would be _dangerously_ close to him…

Letting his own exhaustion guide his decision-making, he took off his and sandals and his _chlamys_ , tossing it aside before slipping inside the bed, careful to not make any excessive movement. It was futile, as Ryeowook shifted a bit, letting out a tiny noise.

“Captain,” he softly murmured, his eyes still closed.

Jongwoon stilled. “Ryeowook?” he whispered, unsure if Ryeowook was simply talking in his sleep.

Ryeowook snuggled closer to him as if seeking warmth. “There’s so much… I have to tell you…” he mumbled, the last words almost inaudible.

Jongwoon suddenly became acutely aware of the silver necklace that hung around his own neck, concealed underneath his _chiton._ It felt somewhat heavier. 

“As do I, beautiful, but it can wait until tomorrow, yeah?”

Ryeowook gave no reaction to being called “beautiful” and Jongwoon realized that Ryeowook had fallen back into a deep slumber. Jongwoon took a minute to appreciate Ryeowook’s beauty, and he could not help but press a kiss to the crown of his head, inhaling the clean scent of his golden hair. Soon enough, he willed himself to sleep as well, feeling content that Ryeowook was with him, safe and sound.

But the truth that awaited Jongwoon would be an unexpected and unpleasant one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably seems like I'm a LSM anti but I'm honestly not, believe me, it's just for the story 😭 
> 
> Also, in case it was hard to deduce, Ryeowook's look is basically taken from the photoshoot for the Timeless album, Bright ver 😍 king looked so stunning in that photoshoot. 
> 
> I ought to change the tags to include Momo and Hangeng 😩 
> 
> To this day I still can't believe the username Ryeong9 wasn't already snatched on ao3, but I'm thinking of changing it again. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading <3


	11. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly am sorry it's taken me a while to update. Several things/events happened in my life recently that kept me busy, but I wanted to at least update this story. This is the first of two updates :)

Jongwoon was dreaming.

He was floating upright in the middle of the dark sea, his eyes closed as if he were in an eternal slumber.

Any other mortal would’ve been crushed by the sheer pressure of the water, or merely froze to death. But not Jongwoon.

In the dark void of the sea, a faint, peculiar sound began to ring in the captain’s ears, such that his eyes suddenly snapped wide open, as if roused from his sleep.

The sound grew louder, and more potent, as it enveloped Jongwoon like a warm embrace. Only then did Jongwoon realize that someone was _singing._

His eyes peered through the blackness in search of the source of the lovely singing. In his peripheral vision, he saw a streak of light flash by him, like a comet. His head immediately turned to catch it, but no sooner he turned his head than the mysterious light disappeared.

Another streak cut through the water on his left side, and he instinctively turned his head again.

Nothing.

Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

All the while, the singing never stopped, though, at one point, a mellow laugh rang out, light as a feather. The voice was seemingly so _close_ yet so far…

But the voice began to ebb away, and Jongwoon slowly turned, as if prepared to swim after it. He suddenly froze when he was met with a stunning sight before him.

Ryeowook was floating in front of him, in his true form as a siren. His golden hair shined in the darkness, flowing in a way that made it appear like a halo, and his porcelain skin shimmered. His pink lips were curved up in a reassuring smile while his eyes bore into Jongwoon’s. He was so close, that if Jongwoon were to extend his arm out, his hand would immediately come into contact with Ryeowook’s incandescent skin.

And around the siren’s neck hung his unforgettable seashell necklace, the silver transmitting a white light in the darkness of the sea.

He looked beautifully unreal.

Ryeowook brought his other hand up to caress Jongwoon’s cheek, his touch as gentle as a dove, while his eyes held Jongwoon’s for what felt like forever until he opened his mouth to speak.

The words that came out weren’t audible, but Jongwoon was still able to make out what they were:

_Follow me._

A dainty hand then reached out and took ahold of Jongwoon’s, pulling him along through the cold water. The siren then began to sing again, his song filling the void of the sea, and taking Jongwoon’s heart in its wake. 

Jongwoon’s eyes shot open, instantly raking in the light that seeped into the room from a single window. He could hear the wind howling outside of the ship, and he intuitively knew that a storm was brewing. A big one at that.

He then brought a hand up to wipe the sheen of sweat from his forehead, his mind trying to shake off his disorientation from the strange dream he had. His dream of Ryeowook…

Triggered by what he remembered of the dream, his hand flew to his neck, and he let out a relieved sigh upon feeling the silver chain that still hung around his neck.

Indeed, what a strange dream.

Jongwoon then turned his head, expecting to see a familiar head of golden hair but instead, he saw the space next to him empty. 

Feeling as though his heart had stopped, Jongwoon immediately sat upright, searching the room for any sign of Ryeowook, only to find none.

The captain wasted no time in climbing out of bed and hurried to put his shoes on, all sorts of negative thoughts racing in his mind, while uneasiness seized his heart. 

Without a second to spare, he made his way to the door, and threw it open, rushing out of the room.

Once he stepped foot onto the deck, he saw Heechul’s crew moving about, tending to their assigned duties and ensuring that the ship was sailing smoothly. He paid them no mind as his eyes frantically searched the deck for a certain magical creature until he finally spotted him.

On the quarterdeck, there stood Ryeowook at the helm, with Captain Heechul behind him, his hands over Ryeowook’s, showing him how to properly steer the ship, all the while talking animatedly with him, while Ryeowook smiled radiantly, clearly fascinated with what the older man was telling him. Ryeowook had changed clothes; he was dressed in a typical sailor’s ensemble: a soft blue linen blouse with a brown suede vest, tucked into a pair of trousers. For a moment, Jongwoon was enthralled with how beautiful Ryeowook looked dressed in those clothes, with the sea breeze blowing tresses of his golden hair. But at the same time, a dark feeling crept in his heart at the sight of him and Heechul acting as if they were in their own little world. Jongwoon was so absorbed with watching them that he didn’t notice another person suddenly appear at his side.

“Up and at ‘em, Captain?” Momo’s voice shook Jongwoon out of his stupor.

Jongwoon jumped slightly, almost slipping out a curse, as he turned to see Momo who gave him a knowing smile in return.

Jongwoon quickly composed himself, not wanting to make it obvious that he had been watching the pair for a while, though he knew that it was probably futile given the way she was looking at him with those keen eyes of hers. 

“Oh—good morning, Momo,” responded Jongwoon amicably. “I’d be none the wiser to continue sleeping like a rock when there’s a storm on the horizon.”

Momo hummed in response as if agreeing. “Well, you’ll be glad to hear that we’re nearing Trident’s Bay,” she said, “We should arrive before we get caught up in the worst of the storm, so you’ll be back on your ship in no time, I’d expect.”

“I can hardly wait,” said Jongwoon truthfully. Although it hasn’t been long since he was parted from his beloved ship, he was itching to return to her, as well as to his crew. After all, the Dark Shadow is his _home_. “Has the siren been awake for long?” 

Momo spared a glance at the quarterdeck, where Ryeowook was laughing at something that Heechul had told him.

“Not long,” she said. “By the time I came up, he was already out and about. I reckon you were startled when you didn’t see him when you woke up, am I right?”

“I had thought the worst,” Jongwoon confessed, “To keep your eye off magical creatures like him would be to throw all caution to the wind.” 

Momo nodded in understanding. “Well, I don’t think he meant any harm, he only wanted to know how the ship moves, so Captain took it upon himself to show him.” 

“That I’ve noticed,” said Jongwoon dryly. “They seem to be hitting it off with each other very well, I’d say.” 

Momo smiled to herself. She would never admit this out loud to Jongwoon, lest she wanted to incur his wrath, but the captain was just so cute when he was jealous.

“Anyway, if you’d like, I can give you something else to wear,” she said, eyeing Jongwoon’s clothes from last evening. “Something more fitting for a proper seaman, yeah?”

Jongwoon could not help but smile at this. “Heechul was right about you being a sharp one. Have you ever given thought about ditching that old captain of yours to join my crew?” he asked lightly.

Momo let out an amused laugh in response, shaking her head. “Something tells me he’ll maroon you if he ever found out you asked such a thing, Captain, even in jest.”

“Well, that depends if he finds out,” Jongwoon continued with the banter.

Momo shook her head, grinning. “Gods, you really are _unbelievable._ ”

Soon enough, Jongwoon was dressed in what obviously was Heechul’s hand-me-downs, but they actually fitted him quite well given their similar height. Still, he felt infinitely better dressed in familiar clothing.

When he returned to the deck, Heechul spotted him, and waved him over to where he was standing with Ryeowook, whose eyes shined upon seeing him.

“Back to your old fatigues, I see,” said Heechul teasingly.

“They’re _your_ fatigues, if you will. But aye, it’s a relief,” said Jongwoon, “I won’t deny, however, that it was nice having the occasional breeze up my legs.”

Heechul let out a rowdy laugh while Ryeowook looked at him confusedly.

“Keep the outfit if you wish, then, seems like you’ll put it to better use than I ever will,” said Heechul lightly. “Take it as a parting gift from me. Though of course, I’ve already taken the liberty of setting aside your share of the spoils from the auction. Once we dock at Trident’s Bay, I’ll have my crew help move them onto your ship, does that sound like a plan?”

Jongwoon nodded. “I appreciate it, Captain, thank you,” he said sincerely.

“Not at all,” said Heechul offhandedly before focusing his eyes on Ryeowook. “Your siren friend here is truly remarkable, Jong, I can see why you’re so enraptured with him.”

Jongwoon suppressed the urge to throttle the other man on the spot for saying such an embarrassing comment.

Heechul continued, ignoring the dark look Jongwoon threw his way. “I gave him a few pointers on steering the ship, and you wouldn’t believe how quickly he caught on, I was fucking shocked! And here I thought that I’d seen everything!”

“You and me both,” replied Jongwoon, while looking at Ryeowook, whose cheeks were graced with a rising blush, making him look more enchanting than he already is.

Momo then appeared, holding a spyglass in her hand as she addressed Heechul. “Captain, land on the horizon,” she said importantly.

“About damn time,” Heechul grumbled. “Start making the preparations to moor the ship. While you’re at it, also make sure that Kyunghoon’s not slacking off again. Tell him he better watch himself unless he wants to get stuck with swabbing duties for the rest of his life!”

“Will do, Captain,” said Momo before running off to fulfill the captain’s orders.

Trident’s Bay was a remote swampy area where the temple of the sea god was located, in conjunction with a small town. Not as bustling or populous as Port Sapphire, but it certainly was less seedy. 

Within a matter of time, Jongwoon spotted a familiar ship anchored down in the harbor, and a warm feeling filled his heart at the sight of it.

“That’s the Dark Shadow over there, isn’t it?” Heechul asked Jongwoon, having also spotted the ship.

“That’s her, all right,” replied Jongwoon, with a hint of pride in his voice.

The other man clapped his shoulder in a friendly manner. “You’re almost home, Captain,” he said before striding off to oversee his crew’s work. 

Once Heechul’s ship moored itself in the harbor in proximity with Jongwoon’s, his crew immediately set to work moving crates off board to take to the Dark Shadow, while Jongwoon remained put on the ship, preparing to disembark.

“Captain,” said Ryeowook, looking at the Dark Shadow. There was no hint of hostility, nor even a trace of resentment in his eyes, but rather a palpable sadness. “Am I… going to be your prisoner again?”

Jongwoon stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face. On the inside, however, his insides twisted over Ryeowook asking him such a question. At the same time, he couldn’t blame him. Ryeowook only knew what it was like being a prisoner aboard the Dark Shadow. But that was going to change. 

“No,” he said unwaveringly. “Never again, Ryeowook. That I can promise you.”

Ryeowook blinked, meeting Jongwoon’s eyes, and Jongwoon felt like he could get lost in those pretty eyes forever. A part of him grappled with himself over whether he was truly making the right choice in bringing Ryeowook back on the Dark Shadow, not as a prisoner, but as a part of his crew. He recalled how it had been Ryeowook’s fervent wish to be exactly just that, and how he ended up rebuffing him.

But this time would be different. Because Jongwoon felt with all the power of intuition that the Oracle’s prophecy was predicated on this decision to bring Ryeowook on board the Dark Shadow.

The captain then recalled the short-lived, but contentious incident that occurred on his ship prior to the auction raid…

_Jongwoon had decided to divulge to his crew about the circumstances that led to him finding Ryeowook’s necklace and how he came to draw a plausible connection between Ryeowook and the legendary star they were seeking. By the time he had finished, he was met with an array of expressions ranging from confusion, surprise, to utter disbelief._

_A dead silence had overtaken the entire crew at the captain’s explanation. Some looked at each other uncertainly. For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the waves lapping gently against the ship’s hull._

_It was Hyukjae who had broken the heavy silence. “Are you trying to doom us all again?”_

_These words were blunt, and they also bore a strong trace of resentment in them, one that Jongwoon did not miss. At the same time, they were like a dagger, for they implied that Jongwoon had absolutely held no regard for his own crew’s lives whatsoever._

_“Have I ever done anything to make you think that I would willingly endanger your lives on a whim?” was Jongwoon’s calm, but careful response._

_“You’re running some kind of rig here, Captain,” Hyukjae deadpanned, shaking his head. “This is the same siren who almost had all of us killed, and you expect us to believe that_ he’s _our breakthrough for the Blood Star? What kind of crackpot nonsense are you spouting?”_

_“Weigh your words carefully, Hyukjae,” Jongwoon said warningly, “I’m still your Captain and as such, I command respect. I won’t tolerate you seeking to force a quarrel on my ship without a good reason.”_

_“Well if I didn’t know any better, Captain I’d say the siren had cast some spell on you before you let him go scot-free!” Hyukjae then rounded on the rest of the crew, an angry look in his eyes. “I’ve been telling you lot that the siren has been nothing but trouble for us from the get-go! Captain ought to have run one through him and tossed him back to the sea where he rightfully belongs! And now look where it’s gotten us!”_

_Some of the other crewmembers appeared as if Hyukjae had a point while Jongwoon’s eyes flashed dangerously. The reasonable part of the captain tried to understand Hyukjae and the others’ qualms about Ryeowook. After all, Hyukjae was not wrong about the fact that Ryeowook had almost shipwrecked them with the whale; there was no reason for the crew to be inclined to regard favorably the possibility of the siren reentering their lives once more. Jongwoon then thought how these were faithful crewmembers who_ _through their own will and volition, followed him on his voyages out at sea._ _They’ve been with him through thick and thin and have never been inclined to revolt against him under his leadership._

_Still, at that moment, Jongwoon became acutely aware that this was the first time he faced an overt act of defiance from one of his crewmembers. A seasoned captain like Jongwoon knew all too well the tell-tale signs of a mutiny from the countless stories he has heard about discontent crews overpowering their captains, often resulting in bloodshed. For Jongwoon, the idea of his crew, the only crew he has ever sailed with—that he regarded as his_ family _—committing the ultimate act of betrayal against him was just_ unimaginable _and bone-chilling_. _He glanced at Zhoumi who judging by his facial expression, seemed to be communicating to Jongwoon that he needed to tread carefully._

_But hearing Hyukjae openly_ _question why the captain had not killed Ryeowook struck a nerve inside of him and_ _a surge of emotion threatened to overwhelm his self-control._ _He was livid._

_“Who is the captain of this vessel, Hyukjae?” Jongwoon said in a calm but deadly voice, commanding the powerful air of a leader as he stared down the other sailor._

_Under the captain’s searing gaze, Hyukjae faltered, appearing as if he regretted opening his mouth at all. “Y-You are, Captain.”_

_Jongwoon continued to stare him down before running his eyes over the rest of the crew, who were watching the scene while holding their breaths, the tension almost unbearable. “A crew is as only good as its captain is. And as your captain, I do not lie when I say that I would rather sail with you than the world’s most weathered sailors._ _You lot need to understand that what I told you is not a matter of pretense, it’s a matter of the Oracle’s prophecy. We need to be able to read between the lines if we ever want to achieve our objective. Because if there’s one thing I’m certain of… it’s that I cannot find the Blood Star without you,” he said sincerely._

_He continued. “I would never intentionally lead you astray, but if anyone else right now wants to call my judgment in question, I have but one answer for him.”_

_No one said anything as the gravity of Jongwoon’s words sunk in._

_And from there on, no one felt inclined to question his leadership._

Another thing Jongwoon was certain of was that he did not want to be parted from Ryeowook ever again. 

Jongwoon’s eyes flickered as if suddenly remembering something. He brought his hands to his neck and removed the necklace that he went through so much trouble to procure. “I believe… this belongs to you.”

Ryeowook’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing his necklace, and his mouth opened softly, “Y-You have it?” His shining eyes shifted from the seashell pendant to Jongwoon’s face. “How?” 

Jongwoon let out a humorless chuckle. “It’s quite a long story… But either way, it somehow led me to you again. And now I am returning it to its rightful owner. May I?” he gestured with the necklace to Ryeowook’s neck. Ryeowook shyly nodded, keeping still when Jongwoon stepped closer to him.

Jongwoon then proceeded to place the necklace over Ryeowook’s head, his hands brushing against the soft, warm skin of Ryeowook’s delicate neck as he tugged the necklace down and fixed it in place. Jongwoon did not miss the way Ryeowook shivered under his touch, and he felt a sudden desire to grab ahold of his face and kiss him.

“This necklace of yours,” Jongwoon began quietly, his hands sliding away from Ryeowook’s neck. “It’s no ordinary necklace. And I know you know that as well.”

Ryeowook hesitated, feeling how the other man eyed him carefully. “Yes, you are right… this is not an ordinary necklace, Captain. But as you say, it’s quite a long story,” he said, his voice solemn.

Jongwoon detected the sadness in his voice and he was curious to know why, but at the same time, a part of him unwittingly _feared_ to know the answer. “Will you tell me about it later on?”

Ryeowook paused before giving the tiniest of nods, looking up at Jongwoon through his long lashes. “I will, Captain.”

At that moment, Heechul rejoined them, cutting short their conversation.

“Don’t mean to interrupt, just wanted to let you know that my crew is just about finishing up with transporting the crates,” he said, “Jong, I’d like a word, if you will.”

Jongwoon indicated to Ryeowook that he would return shortly before walking with Heechul to a more secluded area.

“Our adventure ends here, then,” the older man said as a matter-of-factly.

“Aye, that it seems,” affirmed Jongwoon, with something of a sigh. “Gods willing, it won’t be our last one together.”

“Gods be damned,” said Heechul offhandedly. “The next time we see each other I expect you to tell me all about this famous star, yeah?”

Jongwoon raised an eyebrow at this, before smiling softly. “We shall see, Captain, we shall see. What about you, then? What plans do you have for your newly acquired spoils? Off to participate in a few gambles here and there?”

“I only gamble with my life, never my money,” said Heechul, smiling in a crafty way. “But you should know I plan on staying put here at Trident’s Bay for a bit, I need to clinch a deal with an old acquaintance before I sail south to Egypt. I’ve heard some interesting whispers about this town that’s rich with coin like you wouldn’t believe. And who knows? Maybe along the way I’ll capture a pretty siren of my own to serenade me.”

At that moment, Momo had walked by them, but she stopped in her tracks to scowl at the older man, having overheard his words. “That’s not funny, Captain,” she snapped, before storming off.

Heechul rolled his eyes playfully, shaking his head at Jongwoon.

“Egypt, huh?” said Jongwoon thoughtfully. “A bit of a treacherous journey if you’re not careful with the maelstroms.”

“Certainly nothing this old seadog can’t handle, as your insolent ass like to call me,” Heechul grinned broadly.

The corners of Jongwoon’s lips curved upwards. “Aye, you’re right.”

Heechul’s expression then softened as he looked directly into his former sailing champion’s eyes. “Take care, Jongwoon, yeah? And make sure you take care of Ryeowook too, I’ve already come to grow fond of him, as unbelievable as that sounds.” 

“I will,” said Jongwoon seriously. “You take care as well, Heechul, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you—as always.” The two men then embraced each other in a brotherly fashion, with Heechul clapping Jongwoon on the back.

The two pulled apart, and said nothing more to each other, as Jongwoon headed back to where he left Ryeowook, ready to step foot off the ship. 

And once they planted their feet on the wooden docks, Jongwoon gingerly grabbed ahold of Ryeowook’s hand, noting how his hand fit into his’ perfectly. And together, they walked to the Dark Shadow, Jongwoon’s home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We deserve AB line unit


	12. The Calm After the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have to get up in like 5 hrs for work but I wanted to get this chapter out like now 😭
> 
> If there are any inconsistencies/irregularities feel free to call me out on them. 
> 
> Also.... 👀

A slight drizzle of rain had already set in, and the wind was growing stronger by the second when Jongwoon and Ryeowook boarded the Dark Shadow. The waves surrounding the ship began to turn choppy. The Dark Shadow herself rocked uneasily as if she knew of the danger that awaited her in these precarious waters.

The captain was received with smiles, and the occasional jest, while Ryeowook was regarded mostly with wary, but respectful nods.

Zhoumi approached them, sparing a brief glance at Ryeowook. “Captain, this upcoming storm is not looking good, even Jinjoo’s gone and hid herself gods know where. Are you sure it’s a good idea to risk sailing through it?”

Jongwoon could only grin in a furtive manner at this. “It amuses me how you have the mind to ask me that when we’ve faced worse odds, lieutenant. You of all people know that **when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person that walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.”**

Zhoumi looked at him as if he lost his mind. “You talk like a god, Captain. It drives me up the fucking wall sometimes, you know that, right?”

Jongwoon clapped him on the shoulder, giving a tight-lipped smile. “Start battening down the hatches, Zhoumi.”

Zhoumi let out a sigh, for a moment appearing as if he were questioning his life choices, before walking away to obey the captain’s order.

“Come, Ryeowook,” said Jongwoon, taking a hold of Ryeowook’s arm to pull him in the direction of his quarters. “I’m going to have you stay put in my cabin until we ride out the worst of this storm.”

He had no sooner spoken than Ryeowook yanked his arm away from his hold.

Jongwoon turned to look at him in surprise.

“I don’t want to,” said Ryeowook, looking at him directly. “I want to help.”

Jongwoon blinked in shock before shaking his head. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous for you when you don’t even know how to run a ship—"

Ryeowook’s facial expression turned stiff as his eyes stared at Jongwoon in a challenging manner. “I may not know how to run a ship, Captain, but I _know_ the sea,” he said stubbornly. “And I won’t sit idly by while the rest of you try to withstand her temper.”

Jongwoon appeared speechless by his words. “I—I can’t lose you, Ryeowook,” he said almost pitifully, spurred by a sense of loss that could only be eased by his need to keep him safe.

Ryeowook’s face softened. “You _won’t_ , Captain. I promise you.”

After a pause, the captain gave a short nod, not wanting to deny Ryeowook his wish for a second time. He doesn’t want to make that mistake again.

The storm was upon them with no delay. The sky grew darker, and heavy rain battered down on the deck. The flashes of lightning and the sounds of men shouting to one another filled the air while the ship rocked back and forth on the choppy waves.

The harsh wind was lashing through the captain’s hair, as he devised an optimal strategy in order to protect his crew from the onslaught of the storm. No matter how many storms he has weathered, the captain was always certain of one thing: they would not come out of this one unscathed.

“Captain! Jongwoon!” Zhoumi hollered somewhere from the deck. “We’re going to capsize if we don’t reef the front sail!”

Jongwoon had been watching Ryeowook help the crew adjust the rigging of the sails as if it all came naturally to him. One thing that struck Jongwoon was that Ryeowook did not seem bothered at all by the wind, nor the rain or the wet and slippery wood he was standing on. After Zhoumi shouted out to him, Jongwoon gritted his teeth as he tried to make himself heard over the cacophonous storm. “Why hasn’t it been reefed yet!”

“I’m on it, Captain!” came Hyukjae’s voice. The young sailor rushed to the front mast to reef the sail, but at that moment, the top of the mast suddenly shattered from the force of the wind, with lines of rope from the mast now swinging wildly in the wind.

“RYEOWOOK!”

Jongwoon could only watch as Ryeowook hurried forward to push Hyukjae out of the way before he could get struck by the debris.

“SHIT!” Jongwoon cursed, feeling his heart drop to his stomach as he watched—in slow motion—how _close_ Ryeowook and Hyukjae came to being struck by the falling mast—to losing their lives. For the first time, Jongwoon felt a sense of regret for deciding to sail through this storm. He should’ve seen the error of his ways when he had the chance.

With the front mast down, the ship continued to rock violently from the currents thundering against the side of the ship.

“Steer the wheel, Shindong! Avoid the cresting waves!” Jongwoon composed himself enough to shout over the howling wind as he staggered over to where Ryeowook and Hyukjae were.

“On it, Captain!” Shindong shouted back as he pulled at the wheel.

In a matter of time, Jongwoon reached the other two, deep concern etched on his face.

“Hyukjae, can you stand?” Jongwoon asked.

Hyukjae seemed to be in a daze as if he could not believe what just happened. He could only nod, still shell-shocked. Donghae suddenly appeared and helped him to stand.

The captain turned on Ryeowook, inspecting him for any notable injuries. “Don’t _ever_ scare me like that again, do you hear?” he said angrily. “I—I don’t want to lose you.” He almost choked out the last part.

At that moment, a flash of thunder illuminated the heartfelt expression on Ryeowook’s face and Jongwoon wondered how something so _pure_ could exist amidst total chaos? 

“No storm lasts forever, Captain.” 

The storm was powerful but short-lived. By nightfall, the Dark Shadow was sailing in a calmer section of the sea where the rain had stopped, but the wind howled softly. The clouds had, for the most part, cleared out, revealing millions of silver stars in their entire splendor, emitting their endless bright lights across the heavens.

The captain was assessing the damage done to the front mast, thinking to himself whether they would need to make port again in order to fix it when Hyukjae’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Captain!” Hyukjae’s exclaimed, “We pulled off another remarkable storm defeat, so what say we celebrate with a few rounds of wine, eh?”

Jongwoon looked at Hyukjae in surprise. The lad certainly was cheery for someone who just had a brush with death. “What? Oh…aye, I’ll allow it for tonight, I suppose. But I’m warning you, I want _no_ monkey business, Hyukjae.”

Hyukjae grinned in a good-natured manner. “Of course not, Captain. None of us here are trying to make ourselves look stupid in front of the pretty siren,” he flashed a wink at Ryeowook who suddenly appeared at Jongwoon’s side.

It seemed that the crew’s demeanor, including Hyukjae’s, towards Ryeowook did a complete reverse after witnessing how Ryeowook had deftly helped them fend off the storm, as well as save their crewmember’s life. At that moment, Jongwoon knew that Ryeowook had officially secured his place in their crew, and it filled his heart with ease.

Jongwoon’s eyes flared while Ryeowook simply smiled in amusement.

In a tight voice, Jongwoon said, “You’d be wise to scram before I change my mind.”

Hyukjae sauntered off, presumably to tell the rest of his crewmates that the captain approved their request to drink.

“What is wine?” Ryeowook asked curiously as Jongwoon pulled a blanket that he had taken out of his quarters, and wrapped it around Ryeowook’s shoulders.

The sudden question caused Jongwoon to pause his actions to look at him in remote surprise. He then blinked, trying to figure out how to answer this unexpected question, “Wine is something that we drink a lot in my homeland. It was created by the Olympian Dionysos, as he is the god of the grape harvest, and wine is made from grapes. We drink it leisurely but we also use it to pour libations to the gods to honor them during festivals.”

Ryeowook hummed, clearly interested, wrapping the blanket more tightly around himself. “Where is your homeland?”

“Athens.”

Ryeowook raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Athens? Your patron is the goddess of wisdom.”

“Aye, that’s right,” said Jongwoon, nodding.

“You are a long way from home,” commented Ryeowook.

Jongwoon chuckled softly. “That’s what happens when you set out to see the world, Ryeowook.” 

“Why?”

The innocent curiosity in that simple question caused Jongwoon to be flustered for a moment.

“I’m a sailor, Ryeowook,” explained Jongwoon carefully, “I desire the impossible and the unachievable. I can sail through storms and unchartered waters but never have I sailed beyond the sun to the end of the world. For me, there is nothing more enticing than life out at sea.”

Ryeowook remained silent, feeling as though his heart were in his mouth. For him, the captain truly was a remarkable man, anyone could see his heartfelt conviction of the sea. A part of him wanted to be selfish and to stay with him forever. But he knew that it was only a matter of time before the _truth_ would come out. Until then, he would enjoy the present for the time being.

Changing the subject, Ryeowook said, “Perhaps…I may drink wine?”

Jongwoon’s eyebrows furrowed. “You want to try it?” he asked unsurely. 

Ryeowook nodded fervently, his eyes shining.

Jongwoon debated for a moment over whether he should let the siren try the drink that has drowned more men than the sea herself. But Ryeowook looked so eager, that Jongwoon could not bring it upon himself to say no to him. “All right,” he said, “Stay here for a moment, I’ll be back.”

He began walking to the center of the deck where by now his crew had pulled out one of their casks of wine from the cargo deck. 

Shindong spotted Jongwoon approaching them. “Hold it, hold it! Captain gets the honors of having the first drink of the night. Captain, won’t you and the siren join us?”

Jongwoon shook his head. “No, we’re going to settle in for a quiet evening. Besides, it’s not often that you noisy lot give me any peace,” he replied in an amicable manner, “But I’ll take that drink you’re offering, Shindong.”

“As you wish, Captain,” Shindong went to fill up a cup with the wine before holding it out to him. 

Jongwoon took the cup. “Go easy, lads. Enjoy,” he said before walking off back to where Ryeowook was waiting for him.

Donghae spoke once Jongwoon was out of earshot. “You reckon that Captain’s got a soft spot for the siren?”

Hyukjae snorted. “You numbskull, has the storm clouded your eyesight or what? Even a blind man can tell that Captain’s all moony-eyed over the siren, you all saw the way he was looking at me when I called the siren pretty? Thought Captain was gonna have my ass tossed overboard, no question about it.”

The rest of the crew roared in delighted laughter at this.

Shindong began passing out cups filled with wine. “Well then, here’s to another day of conquering sea storms, lads. Jungsoo, how are you holding up?”

“All I can say is that I still feel like I’m about to come apart at the seams,” responded Jungsoo jokily. “But this captain… gods he truly lives up to what they call him, doesn’t he?”

The rest of the crew murmured in agreement before settling in for an entertaining night.

On the upper deck of the ship, Ryeowook was seated next to Jongwoon, curiously eyeing the dark crimson liquid in the cup that Jongwoon had given him.

He felt Jongwoon’s eyes on him as he brought the cup to his lips and he tentatively took a sip.

Ryeowook blinked, trying to assess the taste of this strange liquid on his tongue. He then let out a noise of approval. “It’s sweet!”

Jongwoon’s expression turned soft at how Ryeowook’s face lit up. “Yeah?”

Ryeowook nodded before he brought the cup to his lips and started to chug the wine, which alarmed Jongwoon.

“Whoa, easy, Ryeowook!” his hand settled over Ryeowook’s, immediately bringing the cup down from the other’s lips.

Ryeowook looked at Jongwoon in innocent confusion.

“If you drink too fast, you could end up feeling nauseous,” Jongwoon explained, “Soon enough you’ll end up like _them_.” He motioned his head to where the other crewmembers were grouped together, laughing boisterously, with some beginning to engage in a sing-along. 

“They look like they are having fun,” Ryeowook noted.

“Aye,” Jongwoon answered, “But it’s not fun when the lot of them start vomiting their guts out and making fools of themselves.”

“Oh.”

They sat there in comfortable silence, letting the cool night air of the sea envelop them peacefully.

Ryeowook, meanwhile, was looking up at the night sky in wonder. “The heavens are beautiful tonight. There are so many stars…” he remarked.

Jongwoon also looked up, humming in appreciation of the starry sky. “It’s a good sky for navigation,” he commented.

“Navigation?” said Ryeowook quizzically.

“I use the stars to help me navigate the sea, Ryeowook. Without them, I would not know where to go. Without them, I would be lost.” 

Ryeowook tore his gaze from the sky to look at Jongwoon in curiosity. “How do you use them to help you sail?”

Jongwoon turned to meet his eyes before returning his attention back to the sky. “Here, why don’t I show you? Do you see that star right there?” he pointed up at the sky.

Ryeowook looked up to where Jongwoon’s finger was pointing. “Which one? There are many of them.”

“I am talking about that one,” Jongwoon said, his eyes fixated upon one particular star. “The one that shines brighter than the rest of them.”

Ryeowook then spotted it. “Yes, I see it!” he stared at it in wonder.

“That star is called Sirius, also known as the Dog Star because it is a part of the Great Dog constellation,” Jongwoon said, “We use the constellations to guide us out at sea. If you follow the Dog Star, you will always be able to find your way north.”

“You know so much about sailing,” Ryeowook said in soft amazement.

A broad smile crossed Jongwoon’s face. “You know a lot about it when you spend an entire lifetime scouring the sea.”

“All my life I have been surrounded by nothing but sea. I can count the grains of sand on the shore but I do not know as much as you do when it comes to sailing her waters,” Ryeowook said, almost dejectedly. 

“We’re worlds apart, Ryeowook,” Jongwoon said, “You possess a knowledge of the sea entirely different from my own. But I won’t deny, you have truly impressed me with the way you held your own during the storm. And I am not one to easily be impressed.”

Ryeowook felt his face grow warm. “Really?”

“Really,” Jongwoon confirmed, smiling at Ryeowook’s shy behavior. “Right then, let me show you Orion. This constellation is the easiest to find, you just have to find the three stars that align in a straight line that form his belt.” His finger traced along the three said stars and Ryeowook instantly saw what he was referring to.

Ryeowook tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face. “Does he... have a bow and arrow?”

“Aye, you’re right. That’s because Orion is a hunter,” Jongwoon explained, “Or _was_ , I should say.”

Ryeowook’s mouth fell open slightly as he marveled at the constellation. “It’s beautiful,” he remarked. “I see these stars every night at my homeland but I never knew that they had names. And to think…” He trailed off, his voice notably turning sad, catching Jongwoon’s attention.

“What is it?” he inquired, concerned.

Ryeowook hesitated before opening his mouth to speak but what came out instead was a hiccup.

Jongwoon looked at him curiously.

Ryeowook’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I do not—” Ryeowook was cut off by another hiccup, and his hand flew to his throat. 

Jongwoon could not help let out a laugh. Ryeowook was just so endearing, and the fact that he was clueless about it, made him much more endearing. “See? That’s what also happens when you drink too fast, you get those pesky throat spasms that are called hiccups. Come, let’s get you some water to help you get rid of them.”

He stood up and Ryeowook did the same, but Ryeowook then let out a small cry upon feeling a woozy sensation. He almost fell backward until Jongwoon grabbed ahold of his arm, steadying him.

“Captain,” Ryeowook said slowly. “I feel strange.”

“I guess sirens have a different tolerance when it comes to alcohol,” Jongwoon mused. “All right, you’re coming with me, you need to lie down for a bit.” Wrapping his arm around Ryeowook’s waist, he carefully led him to his quarters. Ryeowook let him, finding himself liking the warm sensation of Jongwoon’s touch; it was pleasant. 

Behind Jongwoon, he heard his crew mumbling amongst themselves. He was no fool to realize that they were talking about him and Ryeowook. Then, he heard the shrill sound of a catcall whistle, followed by cackling. 

Someone was adamantly trying to shush them. Jongwoon recognized his lieutenant’s voice. “Shut up, you fuckwits! Do you want the captain to kill us all?”

Jongwoon gritted his teeth. _He was going to kill them all._

It was well late into the night. Inside the captain’s quarters, Ryeowook was sleeping in a tranquil manner on Jongwoon’s bed, his breathing even. 

Meanwhile, Jongwoon was seated at his wooden desk, looking over navigation charts in the soft light of the lantern, figuring out where to next make port. But at the same time, he needed answers from Ryeowook. Perhaps it had been his imagination, but Jongwoon felt like Ryeowook had been about to reveal something important—but displeasing—to him. Just what was Ryeowook keeping from him? Jongwoon drummed his fingertips against the wooden surface, staring unfocusedly at the charts for what felt like ages.

He was so deep in thought; he did not hear the sound of soft shuffling behind him.

It was not until a light voice called out to him that he was startled out of his stupor.

“Captain.”

Jongwoon’s head whipped around and his breath hitched. All thoughts from before flew out of his head once he saw Ryeowook standing in front of his bookcase, curiously looking at the leather-bound books, his golden hair disheveled from his brief slumber. The soft glow of the candlelight illuminated his form in a way that made him look ethereal.

Ryeowook turned his head, and the perceptible blush on his cheeks deepened when he saw Jongwoon’s gaze fixed upon him in a bold and undisguised fashion.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked shyly but pointedly.

Jongwoon held his gaze. “Like what?” He then stood up. A burning desire was building up in his chest upon seeing Ryeowook standing there looking incredibly lovely; he just _had_ to get near him because just as with the sea, it was impossible to withstand his gravitational pull. With slow, but cautious footsteps, he moved in Ryeowook’s direction.

Ryeowook stood there, staring at Jongwoon with wide eyes. “Like… I am a divine being of some sort…”

Jongwoon inched closer until he was directly in front of Ryeowook, their chests almost touching in a tantalizing manner. “Gods Ryeowook—I can’t help it, you’re just so _beautiful_.”

Ryeowook held his breath. “Captain…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“ _Jongwoon_ ,” the captain corrected, lifting a hand up to stroke Ryeowook’s cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. “Not ‘Captain.’”

Ryeowook’s eyes flitted innocently up at the other man. “Jongwoon… I—” he looked unsure at the words that threatened to escape his lips. “I think you are beautiful too.”

Jongwoon raised an eyebrow in faint surprise at the confession. “The stars that I told you about... even they do not hold a candle to your beauty, Ryeowook.” His fingers gently trailed down Ryeowook’s angelic face, stopping when they reached his chin. Taking ahold of his chin, Jongwoon carefully tilted Ryeowook’s head up and he inched his face downwards to brush his mouth against the other’s soft petal-pink lips, tasting the sweet wine that still lingered on his mouth. The minute his lips made contact with Ryeowook’s, Jongwoon felt his heart stir like the waves of the sea being lashed by fierce winds. 

Ryeowook’s hands tentatively slid up Jongwoon’s firm chest, before confidently clasping themselves at the back of Jongwoon’s neck.

The kiss became more fervent. One of Jongwoon’s hands shifted downwards to the small of Ryeowook’s back, pulling him impossibly close against his own body, while his other hand snaked its way beneath the linen material of Ryeowook’s blouse, settling on the soft skin of his waist. 

Ryeowook let out a little noise at Jongwoon’s ardent touch and Jongwoon broke the kiss. He then connected their foreheads, all the while trying to control his breathing.

“Ryeowook…” Jongwoon peered into Ryeowook’s eyes in search of an answer, “I need to know if you wish for me to continue.”

Ryeowook, also breathing heavily, furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Continue?”

“I am going to make love to you,” Jongwoon clarified, “I can stop if you do not wish for me to go on.” 

At once, Ryeowook shook his head. “I do not want you to stop. I want you to make love to me, Jongwoon, _please._ ”

Ryeowook’s answer tugged at Jongwoon’s heartstrings, and he kissed him again, slow and languid, while his hand traveled downwards to rest on the curve of Ryeowook’s hip.

Jongwoon’s cock strained against the fabric of his trousers, hard and pulsating while his lips moved to place butterfly kisses along Ryeowook’s jawline, loving the alluring scent that he emitted. He smelled clean and fresh like an ocean breeze; it was an intoxicating scent that he wanted to drown himself in.

“I’m curious, have you ever mated with your kind before?” Jongwoon inquired all of a sudden.

Ryeowook shyly looked away, the blush on his cheeks intensifying. “Once… but it was not like… not like _this_.”

Jongwoon felt a twinge of jealousy at Ryeowook’s words. He said nothing for a moment while he appraised the smaller figure. “What about with a human?”

This time, Ryeowook’s eyes looked directly up at him, smiling almost teasingly. “You do know it is in my nature to drown your kind, right? But no... you will be the first, Jongwoon, and I am glad it’s you.”

The lion in Jongwoon became appeased. Before long, Jongwoon reclaimed the siren’s mouth once more in a possessive manner. Ryeowook let out a soft moan into the kiss, loving the way Jongwoon’s rough lips felt against his own. Never before had he experienced such an intense feeling; it was absolutely _wonderful._

Soon enough, Jongwoon’s hands were on Ryeowook’s shoulders, tugging his shirt off, leaving Ryeowook in his dark trousers. Jongwoon’s eyes zeroed in for a moment on the beautiful smooth skin of Ryeowook’s neck and upper chest before he continued to undress him. Upon seeing Ryeowook in all of his naked splendor, Jongwoon’s eyes, aflame with burning want, raked over the siren’s form.

Ryeowook’s own eyes were looking at Jongwoon with the utmost innocence in them, which roused the lion inside him once more, and an animalistic growl almost escaped his lips.

Jongwoon’s hands then deftly worked to remove his own clothing, starting with his boots. Within less than a minute, Jongwoon was left in his trousers, which he swiftly pulled down, revealing himself in his entirety to Ryeowook. This time it was the siren’s turn to be breathless when he saw the captain completely exposed to him. Ryeowook’s eyes trailed down his face, mesmerized by dark, beautiful eyes full of blazing passion. Then they flittered over to the taut muscles, his lean but strong body, his long legs, and then finally to his crotch area where his large cock stood stiffly and proudly. Ryeowook swallowed, his throat feeling slightly parched.

Wordlessly, Jongwoon moved in, his hands settling on Ryeowook’s waist. He began to gently push him back towards the bed until the backs of Ryeowook’s knees made contact with the mattress, causing him to fall back onto it.

“Lie your head on the pillow for me, beautiful,” Jongwoon softly commanded, patting the pillow. Ryeowook’s heart did a somersault at being called “beautiful” and did as he was told, adjusting himself so that his head was on the pillow.

Before Jongwoon could continue with his actions, he went to open the top drawer of his nightstand. He rummaged around for a minute before pulling out a small glass vial with a clear liquid inside of it. Ryeowook looked at it questioningly.

“Trust me,” Jongwoon said reassuringly, taking his place over Ryeowook and leaning down to kiss him once more, “It’s so that I don’t hurt you.”

Ryeowook nodded, indicating that he understood. “I trust you, Jongwoon.”

Those words were said with such sincerity, that Jongwoon was beside himself with emotion, for he knew that his heart belonged to the siren. Jongwoon opened the vial and the faint scent of lavender struck Ryeowook’s nostrils. Jongwoon began slathering his fingers with the oil before resealing it and placing it back onto the nightstand. Repositioning himself, he placed his hand on Ryeowook’s soft inner thigh, inducing a pleasant burning sensation that caused the latter to gasp lightly. Jongwoon’s wet fingers trailed upwards until he reached the puckered entrance.

Ryeowook’s breath hitched when he felt Jongwoon’s finger lightly press against his hole. He quietly whined when Jongwoon slowly slid his finger inside.

Jongwoon leaned down to kiss Ryeowook, muffling his noises, while his finger began to move inside of him, slow but insistent. 

Soon enough, Ryeowook’s hips began to push upward, prompting Jongwoon to insert another finger inside.

Ryeowook broke the heated kiss, gasping for air just when Jongwoon’s fingers struck a point inside him that sent waves of pleasure coursing throughout his little body.

“Jongwoon!” Ryeowook moaned, his hands curling into the sheets. “That feels so good!”

“We haven’t even started yet, beautiful,” Jongwoon remarked, enthralled by watching how Ryeowook was coming undone beneath him. “Hold on for me, okay?” 

A third wet finger then slipped in alongside the other two in Ryeowook’s hole, stretching him out nicely for what was to come next.

Pretty moans and gasps were spilling from Ryeowook’s soft pink lips every time Jongwoon’s fingers struck his sweet spot. The feeling was too much for Ryeowook, it was akin to _fire_.

“Breathe, Ryeowook,” said Jongwoon gently. 

Ryeowook closed his eyes, relishing the way captain’s voice sounded to his ears; it was a voice that could placidly quell even the fiercest of storms. 

After deeming him ready, Jongwoon carefully removed his fingers from Ryeowook’s hole. His cock twitched when he saw how Ryeowook’s hole clenched around nothingness, practically begging to be filled. 

Jongwoon then reached for the glass vial on the nightstand once more and uncapped it to slick his aching erection with the oil.

Within a matter of quick time, Jongwoon’s hands settled on Ryeowook’s soft thighs, gently spreading them wider so that he can accommodate himself in between them. Moving his hands to either side of Ryeowook’s head, Jongwoon reached down to imprint a kiss upon Ryeowook’s sweet lips again, which the latter received with a little moan.

Jongwoon’s hips then began to push forward, slowly easing his cock inside of Ryeowook’s hole.

Ryeowook gasped against Jongwoon’s lips upon feeling his hole stretch open at the sudden intrusion.

Jongwoon stifled a groan that was caught in the back of throat at the sensation of Ryeowook’s tight heat overtaking his cock. He had the strong urge to shove it inside Ryeowook in one go, but he firmly held back for he did not wish to inflict pain upon the beautiful being underneath him.

Ryeowook’s hands snaked underneath Jongwoon’s arms and settled on his shoulders once Jongwoon was fully sheathed inside of him. His lips were parted so as to release short breaths, which soon turned to passionate moans when Jongwoon began to slowly rock his hips back and forth.

“Am I hurting you?” Jongwoon asked, carefully searching Ryeowook’s face for any indication that he was in pain.

But he found none.

Ryeowook shook his head fervently, his eyes brimming with unshed tears at how Jongwoon was making love to him so tenderly. “No, Jongwoon.”

Like the waves rolling against the shore, this was how Jongwoon moved inside of Ryeowook. It was the blending of the serenity of the sea with the present action of the moment, and for Jongwoon, nothing could have been more perfect.

In the dim light of the lanterns, Jongwoon’s eyes raked over Ryeowook’s face, and his breath hitched at the lovely sight. Wisps of Ryeowook’s golden hair clung damply to his forehead. His eyes were closed and his long lashes fluttered against the top of his cheeks, which were covered with a deep crimson blush. His rosy lips were slightly swollen from the numerous amounts of times Jongwoon had kissed them; nevertheless, they were slightly parted to allows his moans and whimpers to fill the room while Jongwoon fucked him deeply into the mattress. Simply put, Ryeowook was the epitome of divine beauty, and Jongwoon could not believe that he of all people was able to see him like this.

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon said, almost breathlessly, completely stunned by the sight underneath him. 

Ryeowook’s eyes softly opened to look at the man above him. Jongwoon was unlike anyone Ryeowook had ever seen in his entire life. He was daunting, but at the same time, he was beautiful, like a tempest. 

“Keep your eyes on me,” Jongwoon commanded softly, his eyes boring directly into Ryeowook’s.

Ryeowook nodded, unable to form words as his eyes sparkled brighter than the stars in the night sky.

Jongwoon continued moving in and out of him as he tried to chase his orgasm.

Ryeowook’s fingernails dug into Jongwoon’s shoulder blades, feeling a particular emergent force threatening to overtake him.

“Jongwoon,” he cried out, burying his face into the crook of Jongwoon’s neck, his body tensing up. Jongwoon instantly knew that he was close. 

“Come,” the captain ordered, “Come for me, Ryeowook.”

At these words, Ryeowook’s body violently shuddered, succumbing to the full strength of his orgasm. His back arched slightly and he came, crying out Jongwoon’s name as if it were the only thing he knew.

Jongwoon felt the sensation of warm cum splattering on his abdomen after Ryeowook released. He watched in silent awe at how Ryeowook came undone beneath him. _His Ryeowook,_

Upon feeling Ryeowook’s hole tighten around his cock in a suffocating manner, the pace of Jongwoon’s thrusts quickened, seeking his own release.

With a heavy grunt, Jongwoon’s cock pulsed as he finally came inside of Ryeowook, spilling his seed inside of him, which caused the siren to hold onto Jongwoon tighter when he felt the warm sensation inside his hole. Jongwoon began to pepper the smaller man’s face with kisses while repeatedly muttering Ryeowook’s name under his breath, like a mantra. He stayed on top of him for a while before pulling out and collapsing at Ryeowook’s side, panting heavily.

Next to him, Ryeowook looked completely wiped out, his sweaty chest moving rapidly up and down in a repetitive motion while he tried to regain his breathing.

Then, Jongwoon shifted so that he could collect the smaller man in his arms, embracing him lovingly. Ryeowook’s hands immediately settled onto Jongwoon’s chest, feeling how fast his heart was beating.

Jongwoon’s head leaned slightly forward to chastely kiss the smaller man. “You are going to be the death of me, beautiful,” he whispered against Ryeowook’s lips. Indeed, for Jongwoon, Ryeowook was the sea’s fatal attraction; beautiful but capable of holding him in the infinite depths of the sea forever. 

But like the rising of the sun every morning, Jongwoon found in Ryeowook something that the sea herself did not possess.

Eternal peace and soundness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be honest with me, was this chapter cheesy af? ;;
> 
> What is the truth that Ryeowook is referring to? 🤔
> 
> The words in bold is a real quote by Haruki Murakami that Yesung tweeted sometime in the summer (I don't remember exactly when 😢
> 
> Also, Polaris is typically regarded as the star that guides people north, hence it is also called the North Star, and not Sirius, but I used Sirius instead bc it's one of my favorite stars uwu 
> 
> Like I said, I've been busier than usual lately, but I hope to pump out at least another chapter next month. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


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